Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court has adjourned the bail hearing of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai to the first week of June, 2026.

El-Rufai is being arraigned on multiple charges bordering on alleged financial crime and abuse of office by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

“Similarly, another charge, number KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/26, against Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i and one Amadu Sule (LEDA) has also been filed before a Kaduna State High Court in the Kaduna Judicial Division,” the ICPC said last month.

“The charges in the State High Court case range from abuse of office, fraud, and intent to commit fraud to conferring undue advantage, among others. Both charges were filed by the ICPC on the 18th of March, 2026.”

Speaking after the court session, counsel to the former governor, Ukpon Akpan, kicked against the lingering adjournment of the bail hearing by one presiding judge as politically motivated.

The high-profile case has drawn significant public attention, with heightened security presence observed around the court premises.

The former governor had arrived at the court at about 9 am in a convoy accompanied by ICPC officials and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

During the proceedings, supporters of the former governor gathered outside the courtroom, while security agencies maintained order and restricted movement within the vicinity.

Inside the courtroom, journalists, as usual, were not allowed, as proceedings are expected to focus on arguments presented by both the defence and prosecution regarding the bail request.

At the last sitting, the defence team had maintained that their client poses no flight risk and is willing to comply with all conditions set by the court.

Meanwhile, the prosecution has urged the court to carefully consider the gravity of the charges.

The 66-year-old former governor of Kaduna has been in ICPC custody since February 19 following his release by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

El-Rufai, a former minister of the FCT, was, however, released on March 27 based on compassionate grounds following his mother’s death.

Gunmen have abducted 15 boat passengers in Cross River. They were whisked away during a pirate attack on a ferry along the Calabar-Oron waterways. 

The spokesman of Police Zone 6 Command, Jefferson Osupe, said the victims were abducted on April 16, 2026. The kidnapped persons were aboard a boat going from Calabar, the Cross River capital, to Oron in Akwa Ibom State.

Following the incident, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 6 Command, Calabar, Auwal Mohammed, ordered an “immediate and sustained joint security operation”.

The AIG has mandated the Commissioners of Police in Cross River State, Rashid Afegbua, and Akwa Ibom State, Baba Azare, “to immediately activate a robust, intelligence-driven, and coordinated interstate security framework aimed at the swift rescue of the victims and the apprehension of all perpetrators.”

“The directive emphasises seamless collaboration between both state commands, in synergy with the Nigerian Navy and other relevant security agencies, to dominate the waterways, dismantle criminal networks, and restore confidence in maritime safety across the zone,” the statement read in part.

Mohammed charged them to set aside all jurisdictional limitations and operational boundaries and to deploy all available tactical and intelligence assets to achieve this mission.

He said the rescue of the abductees remains an operational priority and warned that the command will pursue the perpetrators relentlessly until justice is served.

While condemning the attack, Mohammed reassured residents and maritime operators in both states that the Nigeria Police Force under Zone 6 remains resolute, proactive, and fully committed to safeguarding lives and property.

He urged the public to remain calm and law-abiding and report any suspicious activities, particularly along coastal and riverine communities.

“Furthermore, the Zone 6 Headquarters reiterated its commitment to transparency and timely communication as operations progress, in order to sustain public trust and mitigate undue tension,” he said.

“The Zone assures that there will be no safe haven for criminals within Zone 6.”

Pope Leo XIV begins the final leg of his African tour on Tuesday with a visit to Equatorial Guinea, where his increasingly vocal defences of human rights will be closely watched in one of the most closed-off states on the continent.

After three days in Angola, the US-born pontiff is due around noon (1100 GMT) in the Central African country, ruled since 1979 by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, 83, the world’s longest-serving head of state who is not a monarch.

Leo follows in the footsteps of John Paul II, who 40 years ago became the first pope to visit Equatorial Guinea, an oil-rich country of two million people, 80 percent of whom are Catholic, a legacy of Spanish colonisation.

Throughout his African tour, the pope has criticised tyranny and exploitation while promoting peace and social, swapping his previously reserved style for a tougher tone.

All eyes are whether that trend will continue in Equatorial Guinea, where he will be hosted by a government regularly accused of authoritarianism and human rights abuses.

Most of the country’s opposition figures and independent media, hounded by the authorities, are in exile in Spain.

The Equatorial Guinean authorities are regularly singled out by international NGOs for endemic corruption and repression of the opposition, marked by arbitrary detentions and curbs on public freedoms.

In the former capital Malabo, located on the island of Bioko in the Gulf of Guinea, giant portraits of the pope and welcome banners line the streets, alongside flags of the Vatican and Equatorial Guinea.

A hymn composed in his honour will be sung by church choirs across the country throughout his visit.