El-Rufai Arraigned in Court After Mother's Burial

Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, returned to the Kaduna State High Court for arraignment after attending the funeral of his mother, Hajiya Ummar El-Rufai, in Cairo, Egypt. He is facing 10 counts of corruption-related offenses, including allegations of money laundering and the unlawful possession of public property.

The arraignment took place on a Tuesday, and the presiding judge, Justice Rilwan Aikawa, has scheduled a hearing for March 31, 2026, to consider pending applications, including a bail request. El-Rufai had previously spent a month in detention before his arraignment.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) granted him temporary release on compassionate grounds to attend his mother's funeral, which was held at the Central Mosque in Abuja. Notable attendees at the funeral included former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former governors Rotimi Amaechi and Aminu Tambuwal.