A former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has been released from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), just as the anti-graft agency made available the full charges against him.
The release, temporary, is to enable him to attend the funeral of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, who died in Cairo, Egypt on Friday.
His son, Bashir El-Rufai, confirmed this in a post on his X handle on Friday.
Bashir tweeted: “My beloved great legend of a father (@elrufai) is being released from his unlawful and illegal detention at the hands of one of the most corrupt agencies in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that is a lame excuse of a pathetic institution.
“Thank you all for all the support.
“Our family shall never forget these times.
“We have overcome, as the El-Rufais.”
Meanwhile, a day earlier the ICPC made available the full charges against El-Rufai in the Federal High Court, Kaduna Judicial Division.
IN THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT OF NIGERIA IN THE KADUNA JUDICIAL DIVISION HOLDEN AT KADUNA
CHARGE NO. FHC/KD/7342026
BETWEEN:
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA -AND
COMPLAINANT
1. MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M)
JOEL ADOGA (M) 2.
DEFENDANTS
COUNT 1
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime in September, 2020 or thereabout at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a public officer as the elected Executive Governor of Kaduna State, directly took possession of the sum of N289,826,998.12 (Two Hundred and Eighty-Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Twenty-Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Eight Naira, Twelve Kobo) as severance allowance over and above your legitimately entitled sum of N20,013,245.00 (Twenty Million, Thirteen Thousand, Two Hundred and Forty-Five Naira) which represents 300% of your annual basic salary which you reasonably ought to have known that such fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 2
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime in January, 2023 or thereabout at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a public officer as the elected Executive Governor of Kaduna State, directly took possession of the sum of N289,826,998.12. (Two Hundred and Eighty-Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Twenty-Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Eight Naira, Twelve Kobo) as severance allowance over and above your legitimately entitled sum of N20,013,245.00 (Twenty Million, Thirteen Thousand, Two Hundred and Forty-Five Naira) which represents 300% of your annual basic salary which you reasonably ought to have known that such fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act; 2022.
COUNT 3
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime between September, 2017 and March, 2023 or thereabout at Kaduna and Abuja respectively within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court an offence contrary to Section 18(2) (d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 4
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime in May, 2022 or thereabout at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a public officer as the elected Executive Governor of Kaduna State, directly took possession of the sum of $155,800 (One Hundred and Fifty-Five Thousand, Eight Hundred Dollars) deposited into your Guaranty Trust Bank domiciliary account number: 0023824985 by one Peter Akagu Jones (now at large), when you reasonably ought to have known that such fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 5
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime in May, 2022 or thereabout at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a public officer as the elected Executive Governor of Kaduna State, directly took possession of the sum of $305,300 (Three Hundred and Five Thousand, Three Hundred Dollars) deposited into your Guaranty Trust Bank (domiciliary) account number: 0023824985 by one Ajayi Ayodele (now at large), when you reasonably ought to have known that such fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2) (d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 6
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime in April, 2016 or thereabout at Asokoro, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a public officer as the elected Executive Governor of Kaduna State, directly took possession of the sum of $5,000.00 (Seven Thousand Dollars), deposited into your Guaranty Trust Bank (domiciliary) account number: 0023824985 by one Umar Farouq (now at large) when you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable unde: Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 8
That you MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime in December, 2016 or thereabout at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a public officer as the elected Executive Governor of Kaduna State, directly took possession of the sum of $4,000.00 (Four Thousand Dollars), deposited into your Guaranty Trust Bank (domicilary) account number: 0023824985 by one Umar Farouk Saleh (now at large) when you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: corruption and fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2) (d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
