BREAKING: El-Rufai arrives Kaduna court under heavy security, journalists barred

BREAKING: El-Rufai arrives Kaduna court under heavy security, journalists barred

A former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, arrived at the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday morning under tight security for his arraignment over alleged corruption-related offences.

El-Rufai was brought to the court premises at about 9:00 a.m. in a Hilux vehicle and remained inside for over 30 minutes before being escorted into the courtroom at approximately 9:34 a.m.

Dressed in a light green babanriga with a matching cap, he was heavily guarded as operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Department of State Services formed a protective cordon around him into the courtroom.

Journalists who arrived at the venue as early as 7:00 a.m. to cover the proceedings were, however, barred from gaining access to the courtroom by DSS operatives.

Security had earlier been intensified around the court premises located at the old Nigerian Defence Academy, with heavily armed personnel deployed from the early hours of the day.

The security team comprised operatives of the DSS, the Nigeria Police Force, the Mobile Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

Vehicular movement in the area was restricted, forcing motorists into a single lane from the Ungwan Sarki axis through Kawo, leading to traffic disruptions.

The development followed an earlier announcement by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission that it would arraign El-Rufai before the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.