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A Federal High Court in Kaduna has ordered the remand of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) after his arraignment on multiple corruption charges. The ruling followed his appearance in court alongside a co-defendant, where both men pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against them. 
The ICPC accused El-Rufai of money laundering involving alleged inflated severance payments and suspicious foreign currency deposits. Prosecutors claimed he fraudulently collected about ₦579.7 million in severance pay—far above the legitimate amount—and received deposits totalling $817,900 into his bank account during his time in office. The charges form part of a 10-count case linked to alleged financial misconduct while serving as governor between 2015 and 2023. 
Following the not-guilty plea, the presiding judge ordered that El-Rufai remain in ICPC custody pending the hearing of his bail application, scheduled for a later date. The case, which has drawn significant public attention, is seen as a major test of Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts, with the former governor maintaining that the allegations are politically motivated while authorities insist on due legal process.
