Nasir El-Rufai: Court reserves judgment on bail appeal

The Court of Appeal in Kaduna has reserved judgment on an appeal filed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai. The appeal challenges a decision by the Kaduna State High Court to deny his bail application.

A three-member panel, led by Justice Onyekachi Otisi, heard arguments from legal representatives for both El-Rufai and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). No specific date has been set for the delivery of the ruling.

Counsel for the ICPC, Ayodeji Adedipe, urged the court to dismiss the appeal, stating it is ‘unmeritorious’. Adedipe argued that El-Rufai had previously filed three separate bail applications at the trial court, all of which were refused, and claimed the appellant failed to disclose the rejection of the third application to the appellate court.

In response, El-Rufai’s counsel, Paul Erokoro, SAN, argued that bail is a constitutional right for non-capital offences. He maintained that the continued detention of the former governor is unjustified and hinders his ability to adequately prepare a legal defense.