N423 Billion Probe: El-Rufai drags Kaduna gov’t, Assembly to court

The former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has approached the Court to exercise his right of fair hearing over alleged siphoning of N423 billion when he governed the State, from 29th May 2015 to May 29, 2023.

In an affidavit to support his fundamental rights enforcement against Kaduna State government and the State House of Assembly, which was filed at the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Wednesday by his Lawyer, AU Mustapha, the former governor contended that he has right to fair hearing regarding the probe of his administration.

Speaking to journalists, el-Rufai’s lawyer said, the former governor approached the court as a Nigerian citizen who is entitled to be given a fair hearing before his rights can be determined by a quasi-judicial or investigative body or courts in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

According to him, El-Rufai also asked the court to declare that by the provisions of Section 36 of the constitution, the Report of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Investigation of Loans, Financial Transactions, Contractual Liabilities and Other Related Matters of the Government of Kaduna State from May 29, 2015, to May 29, 2023, as ratified by the Kaduna State House of Assembly, is unconstitutional and therefore null and void for violating his right to fair hearing as guaranteed under the constitution.

The House had, on June 5, 2024, recommended el-Rufai’s prosecution over alleged abuse of office and money laundering in his administration.

The House made the declaration following the investigation of the ad-hoc committee led by Henry Zacharia.

The Speaker of the House, Yusuf Liman, said N423 billion was siphoned during the former governor’s administration, leaving the state with huge liabilities.

The report submitted by the committee said most of the loans obtained during the former governor’s administration were not used for their intended purpose, and in some cases, due process was not followed in securing the loans.

Reacting to the allegation, el-Rufai described the report as a product of a politically motivated hatchet job.

The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) stated that he complied with all extant laws in all his activities while he was the governor of Kaduna State.