JUST IN: ICPC files fresh corruption charges against El-Rufai over alleged financial misconduct

Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has filed multiple criminal charges against former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over allegations of large-scale corruption and abuse of office.

According to court documents obtained from proceedings at the Kaduna State High Court, the charges involve claims of financial misconduct running into billions of naira and millions of dollars.

The anti-graft agency is accusing El-Rufai of engaging in contract fraud, diverting public funds, and illegally enriching himself during his time in office. The filings also allege attempts to compromise federal investigators—an accusation that could further complicate the legal battle ahead.

At the centre of the allegations is the controversial award of CCTV surveillance contracts in Kaduna State. According to the ICPC, El-Rufai approved a ₦4.61 billion contract in December 2015 for the installation of surveillance systems in Kaduna metropolis, awarded to Singularity Network Security Limited, in alleged violation of procurement laws.

In another count, the anti-graft agency accused the former governor of approving an additional $22.475 million contract for similar services to the same company, describing the move as a deliberate attempt to confer undue advantage on the firm.

The commission further alleged that El-Rufai induced the Kaduna State Government to pay ₦11 billion to Indokaduna MRTS JV Nigeria Limited—an entity it described as unregistered—for a light rail project that was never executed.

Prosecutors also accused the former governor of unlawfully receiving ₦289.8 million as severance allowance, far above his legitimate entitlement, which the ICPC said constitutes abuse of office and illegal enrichment.

In a separate allegation, the commission claimed that El-Rufai diverted $1.085 million from a World Bank loan granted to Kaduna State, describing the transaction as a violation of the loan agreement and a misuse of development funds.

The ICPC further accused El-Rufai and his son, Bashir El-Rufai, who is reportedly at large, of attempting to bribe federal investigators in meetings said to have taken place in Dubai and Cairo in October 2025, in a bid to obstruct ongoing investigations.

Additional charges include land fraud and criminal breach of trust, with the commission alleging that the former governor reallocated land meant for private individuals to companies linked to his associates.

The ICPC argued that the actions form a pattern of systemic abuse of office, contract manipulation, and diversion of public resources during his time in office.

The development follows El-Rufai’s reported appearance before a Federal High Court in Kaduna over related allegations of money laundering, fraud, and abuse of office, as the anti-graft agency intensifies its prosecution of the case.