A Federal High Court judge has withdrawn from hearing former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s fundamental rights enforcement suit, creating fresh uncertainty around the high-profile legal battle between the ex-governor and Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies.
Justice Hussaini Belgore announced his recusal in open court on Thursday, directing that the case file be returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, for reassignment to another judge. The judge cited an upcoming leave period as the reason for stepping aside, noting that he would be unavailable to continue overseeing the proceedings.
The development throws the timing of the case into question. A new judge must first be appointed by the Chief Judge before fresh hearing dates can be scheduled, meaning the proceedings could face significant delays.
El-Rufai had approached the Federal High Court seeking to challenge what his legal team describes as unlawful actions by two of Nigeria’s foremost anti-corruption bodies — the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The former governor honoured an EFCC invitation on February 16 over allegations of misappropriating 432 billion naira during his tenure in Kaduna State. After being granted administrative bail by the EFCC, El-Rufai was transferred to ICPC custody before he could meet his bail conditions — a move his lawyers have strongly contested.
His legal counsel has argued that their client’s continued detention lacks any court-issued remand order and therefore has no legal basis, making the fundamental rights suit a critical avenue for his potential release.
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