Corruption trial: Appeal Court reserves judgment on El-Rufai’s bail bid

Abel Lazarus, Abuja

Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna has reserved judgment in the bail appeal filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, challenging the refusal of a Kaduna State High Court to grant him bail in a corruption case instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The presiding Justice, Hon. Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi, reserved judgment on Monday after listening to arguments from counsel representing both parties.

During the proceedings, ICPC lead counsel, Ayodeji Adedipe, urged the appellate court to dismiss the appeal, arguing that the lower court was right to refuse the former governor’s bail applications.

Adedipe told the court that El-Rufai had filed three separate bail applications before the trial court, all of which were rejected.
He argued that the former governor had failed to establish exceptional circumstances warranting the grant of bail.

He also contended that El-Rufai did not disclose to the appellate court that his third bail application had been dismissed by the trial court.

However, counsel to El-Rufai, Paul Erokoro, SAN, urged the Court of Appeal to overturn the lower court’s decision and admit his client to bail.

Erokoro argued that the offences for which the former governor is standing trial are not capital offences and maintained that bail is a constitutional right.

He further submitted that El-Rufai’s continued detention had made it difficult for him to adequately prepare his defence and consult freely with his lawyers.

After hearing the submissions from both sides, Justice Otisi reserved judgment in the appeal. The court did not announce a date for the delivery of its decision.

The forthcoming judgment will determine the outcome of El-Rufai’s challenge to the lower court’s refusal to grant him bail in the ICPC case.