The Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna has reserved judgment on former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s appeal seeking bail, after hearing arguments from both his legal team and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

A three-member panel led by Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi reserved judgment on Tuesday but did not announce a date for its delivery.

Counsel to the ICPC, Ayodeji Adedipe, urged the appellate court to dismiss the appeal, arguing that the Kaduna State High Court was right to refuse El-Rufai’s bail application.

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 to justify another application.

The ICPC counsel also contended that El-Rufai’s legal team did not disclose that a third bail application had equally been rejected.

However, El-Rufai’s counsel, Paul Erokoro, SAN, urged the court to overturn the lower court’s decision and grant his client bail pending the determination of the charges against him.

Erokoro argued that the offences for which El-Rufai is being prosecuted are bailable and not capital offences. He further maintained that the former governor’s continued detention was affecting his ability to prepare adequately for his defence, particularly his access to lawyers and witnesses.

The defence counsel also raised concerns about the timing of the charges, describing El-Rufai as a prominent opposition figure and urging the court to consider the circumstances surrounding his continued detention.

El-Rufai, who served as Kaduna State governor from 2015 to 2023, is facing corruption-related charges brought by the ICPC over alleged financial offences linked to his administration. He has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

With the judgment now reserved, the former governor will remain in custody pending the Court of Appeal’s decision on his bail request.