Court adjourns El-Rufai’s arraignment to April 23

The planned arraignment of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was stalled on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja after the defence failed to produce him in court.

El-Rufai is facing a three-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the alleged wiretapping of the phone of the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu.

When the case was called, defence counsel, Oluwole Iyamu, informed the court that his client was currently in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and, as such, could not be presented for arraignment.

Iyamu appealed for an adjournment to allow for his client’s production in court and also urged the court to hear the pending bail application. He noted that the prosecution had indicated it would not oppose bail, stressing that the charges were bailable.

However, the prosecution counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye, opposed the request for the bail application to be heard, arguing that the defendant had yet to be formally arraigned before the court.

Delivering a brief ruling, Justice Joyce Abdumalik held that in the absence of a formal arraignment, the bail application was premature and could not be entertained.

The court subsequently adjourned the matter to April 23, 2026, for arraignment.