El-Rufai’s Wife Raises Concerns Over Bail Conditions, Says Requirements Are Unattainable

Wife of former Kaduna State Governor, Asiya El-Rufai, has expressed concern over the bail conditions granted to her husband, describing them as difficult to satisfy and alleging that the requirements have frustrated efforts to secure his release.

Speaking on Arise Television's Prime Time programme on Wednesday, Asiya El-Rufai said although the Federal High Court granted the former governor bail, the conditions attached to the approval have proved impossible to fulfil.

According to her, the court ordered that Nasir El-Rufai must provide two sureties, each with a N200 million bond, alongside properties worth N200 million located in Government Reserved Area (GRA), Kaduna.

She added that the court also required the properties to be attested to by the Kaduna State Traditional Council, a condition she said has stalled the bail process.

"The fundamental rights of individuals are guaranteed by the Constitution. It guarantees the right to life, the right to health and the right to interactions," she said.

Asiya El-Rufai maintained that the offences against her husband are bailable under Nigerian law and noted that he had previously sought bail at the High Court without success.

"Now Mallam has been accused of offences in different courts and those charges are clearly bailable offences under Nigerian law. He has applied for bail several times in the High Court. He was denied bail.

"In the Federal High Court, he was granted bail with terms that are not viable. The judge granted him bail with two sureties, N200 million each, with property worth N200 million in GRA, Kaduna."

She explained that the court further directed that the Kaduna State Traditional Council must verify the properties submitted by the sureties.

According to her, attempts to obtain the required attestation were unsuccessful because the Traditional Council declined to provide the certification.

"The judge also said that the Traditional Council of Kaduna State must give attestation. Now, efforts to get this became impossible. The Traditional Council would not give that attestation.

"I don't want to speculate. They gave no reason directly. They just said that they're not able to do it," she said.

Asiya El-Rufai argued that the inability to meet the conditions has effectively kept her husband in detention despite the court granting him bail.

Her comments come amid growing public attention on the legal proceedings involving the former Kaduna governor, with supporters and political associates raising concerns over his continued detention while awaiting trial.