Heavy Security As Nasir El-Rufai Appears In Kaduna Court
Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, arrived at the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday under heavy security for his arraignment over alleged corruption offences.
He was brought to the court premises around 9:00 a.m. in a Hilux vehicle and remained inside for over 30 minutes before being escorted into the courtroom at about 9:34 a.m.
Dressed in a light green babanriga and matching cap, he was surrounded by security operatives as he was led inside.
Personnel from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Department of State Services formed a tight security cordon around him.
Journalists who arrived early to cover the proceedings were denied access to the courtroom by DSS operatives, despite being at the venue hours before the hearing.
Security was significantly reinforced around the court complex, located at the old Nigerian Defence Academy, with armed personnel deployed from early morning.
The security team included officers from the police, mobile police, and civil defence corps.
Movement in the area was also restricted, leading to traffic congestion along the Ungwan Sarki and Kawo axis.
The arraignment follows an earlier announcement by the ICPC that El-Rufai would face charges alongside Joel Adoga in a case involving alleged conversion of public property and money laundering.
The commission also disclosed a separate case filed at a Kaduna State High Court against El-Rufai and Amadu Sule, with charges including abuse of office and fraud.
El-Rufai had previously been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in February, granted bail, and later re-arrested by the ICPC, remaining in custody until his arraignment.
The case comes amid growing calls from political groups and civil society organisations demanding due process regarding his detention.
More photos below.
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