Court Adjourns El-Rufai’s Alleged N8.68bn Fraud Trial To December

The Federal High Court in Kaduna on Thursday adjourned the trial of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and 6 different defendants over an alleged N8.68bn CCTV surveillance contract fraud till December 8, following modifications within the authorized groups representing the prosecution and the previous governor.

The case, instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), got here up earlier than Justice Hauwa’u Buhari on the Kaduna Judicial Division of the Federal High Court.

At Thursday’s proceedings, the newly appointed prosecution counsel, Ibrahim Muktar, knowledgeable the court docket of modifications to the prosecution staff and requested an adjournment to allow him to review the case file, overview earlier proceedings and familiarise himself with the allegations towards the defendants.

Similarly, Mustapha Abubakar, SAN, who appeared as the brand new counsel to El-Rufai, additionally sought extra time to familiarise himself with the case after taking up the defence from the previous authorized staff.

Justice Buhari granted the requests and adjourned the substantive trial till December 8, 2026, for listening to.

Meanwhile, the court docket additionally thought-about a pending bail software filed by the second defendant, Jimi Adebisi Lawal, a former Senior Special Adviser and Counsellor to El-Rufai.

The decide adjourned the applying till Friday, October 16, for ruling.

El-Rufai, Lawal and 5 company entities have been arraigned earlier than the court docket on June 25, 2026, on an amended 11-count cost bordering on alleged corruption, cash laundering and associated offences.

The case, marked FHC/KD/93C/2026, lists El-Rufai as the primary defendant and Lawal because the second defendant.

The 5 company entities named within the cost are Singularity Network Security Limited, Solar Life Nigeria Limited, Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited, Intercellular Nigeria Limited and Noble Coast Resources Limited.

The allegations centre on the award of a CCTV surveillance contract valued at roughly N8.68bn for Kaduna metropolis throughout El-Rufai’s administration.

The ICPC alleged that the contract was awarded in violation of relevant public procurement necessities and concerned an organization that lacked the requisite expertise and {qualifications}.

The allegations haven’t been established in court docket, and the defendants are entitled to the presumption of innocence till confirmed responsible.

The trial is scheduled to renew on December 8, whereas the court docket is predicted to rule on Lawal’s bail software on October 16.