A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned the arraignment of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to Thursday April 23, 2026, after he was not produced in court for arraignment on Wednesday, multiple news outlets report.

The case was meant to proceed before Justice Joyce Obehi Abdulmalik at the Maitama division of the Federal High Court, where El-Rufai was expected to be arraigned on a three-count charge brought by the Department of State Services (DSS) alleging unlawful phone interception and violations of cybercrime statutes. However the arraignment did not take place because El-Rufai was absent from the proceedings.

Prosecution counsel Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN) told the court that El-Rufai could not be presented because he was still in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as part of concurrent investigations into other matters. The court agreed to postpone the hearing until April 23, 2026 when arraignment is expected to take place.

Earlier in the session the defence asked the court to consider a bail application, but the judge ruled that bail requests cannot be entertained until after formal arraignment of the defendant. The prosecution argued that the matter was not properly before the court for such applications.

El-Rufai faces charges alleging unlawful interception of communications of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and related offences under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.

The adjournment means the matter will return to court in late April, giving all parties time to prepare for arraignment and related legal arguments, including El-Rufai’s move to challenge the charges.