What Charges Did ICPC File Against Nasir El-Rufai?

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is expected to appear before the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday over a series of allegations brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.

This will be El-Rufai’s first court appearance since authorities took him into custody more than a month ago. According to the ICPC, the former governor is facing allegations linked to the conversion and possession of public property, as well as money laundering. 

Another defendant, Joel Adoga, was also named in the case, with the commission alleging that both men were involved in the offences.

Federal and state cases filed against ex-governor

The anti-corruption agency has also filed a separate case against El-Rufai at a Kaduna State High Court. That matter contains charges similar to those before the Federal High Court.

N11bn rail payment and other financial allegations

Among the main allegations, the ICPC accused El-Rufai of fraudulently inducing the Kaduna State Government to pay N11 billion to Indokaduna MRTS JV Nigeria Limited for a light rail project that was allegedly never executed. The commission further claimed that the company was not even registered.

He is also accused of approving and receiving severance payments worth N289.8 million on two occasions in 2020 and 2023, despite claims that the lawful amount due to him was about N20 million. In another allegation, the ICPC said El-Rufai dishonestly disposed of $1,085,066.38 from a World Bank loan in violation of the loan agreement.

CCTV contracts and bribery allegation

The commission also alleged that contracts worth billions of naira were awarded to Singularity Network Security Limited in breach of procurement laws. These contracts reportedly included a N4.61 billion CCTV project and another contract valued at $22.47 million.

In addition, the ICPC claimed that El-Rufai and his son, Bashir Ahmad El-Rufai, attempted to bribe federal investigators abroad in an effort to compromise an ongoing investigation.

Separate Kaduna High Court case names another defendant

In the separate case before the Kaduna State High Court, El-Rufai and another defendant, Amadu Sule, are facing a 10-count charge involving abuse of office, fraud, attempted fraud, and conferring undue advantage. Some of the allegations in that case overlap with those in the Federal High Court matter, including the N11 billion light rail deal and the CCTV contracts.

The ICPC also accused Amadu Sule of providing false information to the Kaduna State Government in connection with a land application involving Old Port Trading Limited. The commission further alleged that El-Rufai and Sule conspired to revoke land belonging to Mohammed Umar Karage and reallocate it to Sule between 2018 and 2020.

Laws cited in the charges

According to the charges, the alleged offences are said to violate the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.

EFCC and DSS also linked to wider legal pressure

The legal pressure on El-Rufai has also involved other security and anti-graft agencies. The matter reportedly began when he honoured an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on February 16, 2026, over an investigation linked to his time as governor. He was detained that day, and after his release, the ICPC reportedly took over his custody.

The Department of State Services, DSS, is also said to be investigating him in a separate matter tied to claims he made during a television interview. In that interview, El-Rufai allegedly said someone had tapped the phone lines of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and passed information to him claiming that Ribadu ordered his arrest by the DSS. 

That case was scheduled to come up on February 25 before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, but it did not proceed after the DSS lawyer informed the court that El-Rufai was still in ICPC custody.

Political fallout after break with Tinubu camp

El-Rufai remains one of Nigeria’s most outspoken politicians. He was once seen as a close ally of President Bola Tinubu and played a visible role during the 2023 election campaign. But that relationship later broke down after his ministerial nomination did not scale through Senate screening. Since then, he has become a vocal critic of the Tinubu administration, left the All Progressives Congress, APC, and joined the opposition African Democratic Congress, ADC.