El‑Rufai appears in court over money laundering charges

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El‑Rufai has arrived at the Federal High Court in Kaduna for arraignment on charges of alleged money laundering and conversion of public property brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The anti-corruption agency, ICPC on Monday announced that El‑Rufai is to be arraigned alongside one Joel Adoga on Tuesday.

The charges filed against him include alleged money laundering, conversion and possession of public property, fraud and conferring undue advantage, according to ICPC filings.

The former governor, who led Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023, has been in the custody of the ICPC since mid‑February following a dramatic legal saga involving multiple security agencies.

El‑Rufai was first detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 18 on suspicion of financial irregularities, including alleged diversion of public funds. Shortly after being granted administrative bail, operatives believed to be acting for the ICPC re‑arrested him outside the EFCC headquarters, a move that sparked controversy and attracted public and political debate.

A judge subsequently ordered that El‑Rufai remain in ICPC custody as investigations continued, leading up to the scheduled arraignment on the current charges.