El-Rufai returns home as ICPC releases him on compassionate grounds to bury mother

Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has arrived at his Abuja residence after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission granted him a temporary release on compassionate grounds to enable him to attend the burial of his late mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai.

Hajiya Umma El-Rufai died in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday after a period of illness.

ValidViewNetwork reported that El-Rufai’s son, Bashir, confirmed his father’s release in a post on his X handle on Friday night, writing: “Alhamdulillah. My beloved great legend of a father is being released from his unlawful and illegal detention at the hands of one of the most corrupt agencies in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 18 over allegations bordering on financial misconduct and other related matters. He spent over a month with the commission before his arraignment earlier this week before the Kaduna division of the Federal High Court.

The former governor was arraigned alongside one Joel Adoga, on charges bordering on alleged conversion and possession of public property, as well as money laundering.

According to the ICPC, the defendants were docked on a 10-count charge bordering on abuse of office, money laundering, and fraud. Specifically, the commission alleged that El-Rufai, in September 2020 and January 2023, received the sum of N289,826,998.12 on each occasion as severance allowance far exceeding the legally entitled sum of N20,013,245.00.

In the other charges, the ICPC accused the former governor of receiving deposits of alleged proceeds of corruption and fraud totalling $817,900 in tranches in his Guaranty Trust Bank domiciliary account while he was serving as governor of Kaduna State.

El-Rufai pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The case was heard by Justice Rilwan Aikawa, who adjourned proceedings to March 31 to consider pending applications, including a bail request. Counsel to the former governor, Ubong Akpan, told journalists that no bail application was filed during the session, explaining that the matter was fixed specifically for arraignment.

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El-Rufai is also facing separate prosecution by the State Security Service over alleged phone-tapping claims involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, with the Federal High Court in Abuja fixing April 23 for his arraignment in that case.

President Bola Tinubu, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the late matriarch as a woman who lived a remarkable life and raised children and grandchildren who have contributed greatly to the country.