ICPC set to arraign El-Rufai over fraud charges

After more than a month in detention without formal charges, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai is set to finally face a court of law on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) announced plans to arraign him on multiple criminal counts.

In a statement issued on Monday by its Head of Media and Public Communications, John Odey, the ICPC confirmed that El-Rufai and one Joel Adoga would be arraigned in suit number FHC/KD/73/2026 at the Federal High Court, Kaduna Judicial Division. The charges include conversion and possession of public property, as well as money laundering.

The arraignment marks a significant development in a case that has drawn national attention and sparked intense debate over the rule of law and the treatment of political opponents.

In a separate but related action, another charge has been filed against El-Rufai and one Amadu Sule of the Kaduna Economic Development Agency (LEDA) at the Kaduna State High Court, under case number KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/26. The charges in this case cover abuse of office, fraud, intent to commit fraud, and conferring undue advantage, among others. Both cases were filed by the ICPC on March 18, 2026. The ICPC added that the date of arraignment before the State High Court would be communicated at the appropriate time as determined by that court.

El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 19, after he was released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He had returned to Nigeria from Cairo, Egypt on February 12, 2026, and honoured an EFCC invitation on February 16. He was granted administrative bail by the EFCC on February 18 before being taken into ICPC custody the following day.

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The ICPC’s detention of El-Rufai has been court-authorised throughout. An initial remand order was granted, allowing the commission to detain him for 14 days to investigate allegations of money laundering and abuse of office. Upon the expiration of the initial order, the commission applied for a 14-day extension to complete its investigations, which was granted on March 5, 2026.

El-Rufai’s legal team had challenged his prolonged pre-charge detention, filing multiple suits against the ICPC. According to the ICPC, it was counsel to the former governor who requested a long adjournment date for some of the cases filed regarding his detention extension order. The commission maintained that El-Rufai’s own legal filings had contributed to delays in his arraignment.

Separately, the Department of State Services (DSS) has also filed a case against El-Rufai over allegations that he illegally wiretapped the phone line of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.

The former governor’s continued detention without arraignment had attracted criticism from opposition figures, human rights advocates, and legal practitioners. The ICPC reaffirmed its commitment to due process and the rule of law, noting that El-Rufai had been duly served ahead of Tuesday’s scheduled arraignment.