My Husband’s Bail Conditions Are Impossible to Meet – El-Rufai’s wife

Asiya el-Rufai, one of the wives of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai, has alleged that political interests may be responsible for her husband’s continued detention, describing the bail conditions imposed by the courts as extremely difficult to meet.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, Asiya said although the charges against the former governor are bailable under Nigerian law, the conditions attached to his release have made it nearly impossible to secure his freedom.

She explained that a Federal High Court in Kaduna granted bail on the condition that two sureties each provide a ₦200 million bond backed by properties of equal value located in Kaduna’s Government Reserved Area (GRA). According to her, the court also required an attestation letter from the Kaduna Traditional Council, which she said the council declined to issue without providing any reason.

Asiya further disclosed that efforts to verify property documents were frustrated after the Kaduna State Land Registry was reportedly shut at the time, preventing the family from completing the required documentation.

She also criticised the bail conditions set by the Federal High Court in Abuja, saying they require a serving civil servant to stand as surety while providing property located in either Asokoro or Maitama, two of Abuja’s most expensive districts.

According to her, even qualified individuals are unwilling to come forward because of the level of scrutiny such a role would attract.

“I don’t want to speculate, but as a Nigerian, I believe there must be some politics involved,” she said.

Asiya maintained that her husband voluntarily returned to Nigeria to honour invitations from law enforcement agencies, arguing that he would have remained abroad if he intended to evade prosecution.

Nasir el-Rufai is currently facing separate criminal charges filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) before the Kaduna High Court and the Federal High Court in Kaduna. He is also being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of wiretapping.