The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has opposed the bail application filed by Jimi Lawal, the second defendant in an alleged financial misconduct case involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

The Federal High Court in Kaduna, presided over by Justice Hauwa’u Buhari, adjourned the hearing of Lawal’s bail application until Friday, October 16, 2026, while the substantive case was adjourned until December 8.

Speaking after Wednesday’s proceedings, ICPC prosecution counsel, Ibrahim Mukhtar, said the commission had filed a counter-affidavit opposing the bail request.

“We have already filed a counter-affidavit to it. So, we are opposing the application,” Mukhtar said.

He declined to disclose the grounds for opposing the application, explaining that the prosecution had yet to present its arguments before the court.

“We have not presented the argument before the court. We are here to move the counter-affidavit, so I’m not commenting on it,” he added.

Lawal’s counsel had urged the court to grant him bail on medical grounds, arguing that his health condition warranted his release.

The defence also argued that the prosecution should not oppose the application because it had previously granted the defendant administrative bail.

However, the prosecution sought additional time to study a further affidavit filed by the defence in response to its counter-affidavit.

Counsel to El-Rufai, Mustapha Abubakar, SAN, told journalists that a new prosecution counsel had announced his appearance and requested time to familiarise himself with the case.

Abubakar said the legal team representing the former governor was also newly appearing in the matter and supported the adjournment to allow it to take over the brief from the previous counsel.

“On the part of the first defendant, we were also coming in as new counsel because he was previously represented by another counsel,” he said.

“We aligned ourselves with the application for adjournment made by the prosecution’s counsel and agreed that the matter be adjourned so that we would also be able to effectively take over the brief from the former counsel.”

He confirmed that the substantive case had been adjourned until December 8 for hearing.

On Lawal’s bail application, Abubakar said the motion, the prosecution’s counter-affidavit and the defence’s further affidavit were before the court.

He explained that the prosecution had requested more time to study the further affidavit, which was served on it on Wednesday.

According to him, the defence agreed to the adjournment in the interest of fair hearing, despite having already moved the bail application.

“Incidentally, the counter-affidavit that was responded to by way of the further affidavit was filed and served this morning. Hence, the further affidavit came in this afternoon,” Abubakar said.

“But in obedience to the rule of fair hearing, counsel for the second defendant agreed to an adjournment to enable the prosecution to study the processes and be in a position to respond.”

Mukhtar said the charges against the defendants bordered on alleged financial misconduct and comprised about seven counts.

He, however, stressed that the trial had yet to commence and that no witnesses had been presented before the court.

El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023, arrived at the Federal High Court on Wednesday amid tight security, a day after appearing before the Kaduna State High Court in a separate case.

The former governor and Lawal are facing allegations in the ongoing proceedings, which have yet to be determined by the court. Both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The court is expected to hear Lawal’s bail application on Friday, while the substantive case is scheduled for December 8.