Court Declines Bail Review for El-Rufai, Adjourns to September

A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected an application by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, seeking a review of his bail conditions, even as the Department of State Services (DSS) closed its case against him.

The ruling came on Tuesday after the prosecution concluded its evidence in the trial by calling two witnesses.

El-Rufai is facing a five-count charge brought by the DSS. Among the allegations is a claim that he admitted during a television interview to intercepting telephone conversations involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

At the resumed hearing, prosecuting counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN), informed the court that the prosecution had concluded its case.

Following the announcement, defence counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), told the court that the defence intended to file a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against his client.

Erokoro requested two weeks to file the application, while the prosecution sought a similar period to respond. The court also granted the defence additional time to reply on points of law.

The defence lawyer subsequently urged the court to vary some of the bail conditions earlier imposed on El-Rufai, describing them as difficult to satisfy.

According to him, the conditions requiring sureties to be Level 17 civil servants with property in Abuja’s Maitama or Asokoro districts, as well as the provision of verification and attestation letters from the Kaduna State Traditional Council, posed significant challenges.

However, Aladedoye opposed the application, insisting that qualified public officers who met the conditions were available and urging the court to maintain the existing terms.

In a ruling, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik dismissed the application, holding that the conditions were not impossible to meet.

The judge noted that there are senior civil servants who own property in Maitama and Asokoro and therefore found no reason to alter the terms previously granted.

Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter until September 22, 2026, for the adoption of the defence’s no-case submission.

The court’s decision means that El-Rufai will remain in custody pending the determination of the next stage of the proceedings.