Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, has arrived at the federal high court in Kaduna for arraignment over alleged money laundering and conversion of public property.
El-Rufai will be arraigned alongside one Joel Adoga by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The ex-minister has been in the custody of the ICPC since February 19 after he was released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Security in and around the court was beefed up ahead of his arrival, with operatives of the police and civil defence corps seen patrolling the grounds.
He was brought to court by security operatives at about 9:00 am in a Hilux vehicle and was held in the car for about 25 minutes before being escorted into the courtroom about 10 minutes later.
Dressed in a light green babanriga with a matching cap, the politician wore a smirk on his face throughout.
Security operatives formed a protective cordon around him as he walked into the courtroom.
Journalists who were at the court to cover proceedings were barred from accessing the courtroom.
El-Rufai’s two wives and his son, Bello el-Rufai, a federal lawmaker representing Kaduna north, were also spotted in court.
BACKGROUND
Since el-Rufai’s arrest, there have been several calls for his release or arraignment.
In ICPC custody, the former governor refused to respond to questions posed by investigators, citing his right to remain silent.
On March 5, the magistrate court extended the initial remand order for el-Rufai by another 14 days.
El-Rufai had filed a fundamental rights suit before the federal high court in Abuja over the search conducted on his residence by the ICPC and the remand order issued on February 19.
The ICPC, the chief magistrate who issued the order, the inspector-general of police (IGP), and the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) are respondents in the suit.
