Appeal Court reserves judgment on El-Rufai’s Kaduna bail appeal

The Court of Appeal in Kaduna has reserved judgment on Nasir El-Rufai’s challenge to a High Court decision refusing him bail.

Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi reserved the decision after hearing arguments from lawyers for the former Kaduna governor and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission. No date was fixed for judgment.

El-Rufai’s lawyer, Paul Erokoro, asked the appeal court to overturn the lower court’s decision and grant bail pending determination of the charges against his client.

Erokoro argued that the offences were not capital offences and that there was no justification for refusing bail. He said continued ICPC custody was making it difficult for El-Rufai to prepare his defence, meet lawyers and witnesses, and communicate confidentially with his legal team.

ICPC lead counsel Ayodeji Adedipe opposed the appeal. Speaking after the hearing, he said El-Rufai had filed three separate bail applications at the trial court and that all had been refused.

According to Adedipe, the second application failed because no exceptional circumstances had been shown to justify another request. He said El-Rufai appealed the ruling on that application despite a third application also being refused.

Adedipe argued that the appellant had not disclosed the third refusal to the appeal court and urged it to dismiss the appeal. Those arguments remain the prosecution’s position, rather than findings in the reserved appellate judgment.

The defence expressed hope that the appeal court would take a different view from the High Court and grant bail. The court has yet to announce its decision.

NaijaTrend previously reported on the Kaduna High Court’s adjournment of his bail ruling here.

Sources: Daily Trust, Channels Television