Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Tuesday returned former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to custody after the Federal High Court in Kaduna adjourned hearing of his bail application to the following day.

El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan (SAN), confirmed the adjournment but declined to give details, saying the defence team was still preparing filings. After the session, ICPC operatives escorted the former governor from the court premises under tight security.

The security presence mirrored that of his earlier arraignment before Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa, where El-Rufai faces a 10-count charge including alleged conversion of public property and money laundering.

Although the court had scheduled March 31, 2026, for hearing pending applications, the ICPC had briefly released him on March 27 on compassionate grounds following the death of his mother in Cairo, Egypt.

Separately, El-Rufai is also facing charges at a Kaduna State High Court, where he was arraigned alongside Amadu Sule over allegations including abuse of office, fraud, and conferring undue advantage. Those charges are distinct from the federal case.

Meanwhile, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, El-Rufai withdrew a fundamental rights enforcement suit against a magistrate. His counsel, Ugochukwu Nnakwu, told Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that the application to remove the magistrate as a defendant had already been filed.

The court granted the request, striking out both the magistrate’s name and an earlier motion. The case was adjourned to June 17 to allow the defence to amend its filings, despite objections from ICPC counsel, Abdul Mohammed (SAN).

In the suit, El-Rufai is seeking ₦1 billion in damages, alleging that a February 19 search of his Abuja residence by the ICPC and police violated his constitutional rights, including dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy. He is also asking the court to declare any evidence obtained during the search inadmissible.