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The Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), failed to bring charges of the
alleged N32 billion financial misappropriation against Nasir El-Rufai,
when the former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
appeared for the first time at the Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday.

The anti-graft
agency rather brought an 8-count charge bordering on abuse of office
against him. The EFCC had, since November 2008, invited the former
minister over the alleged N32 billion fraud and other matters and
subsequently declared him wanted last year.

Femi Babafemi, the
spokesman of the EFCC, told NEXT in Abuja that the commission had not
dropped the financial misappropriation charge against Mr. El-Rufai.

“It is a matter still being investigated,” Mr. Babafemi said.

Not so, said the
media consultant to Mr. El-Rufai, Muyiwa Adekeye, who claimed that the
EFCC, without evidence, had deliberately tried to smear his client’s
name in the Nigerian media .

“It is just a
deliberate falsehood. The repeated reference to the N32 billion is a
deliberate attempt by the EFCC to decieve the public,” Mr. Adekeye said
in Abuja yesterday.

Mr. El-Rufai in court

At the High Court
yesterday, Mr. El-Rufai, arraigned before Adamu Bello, pleaded not
guilty to the eight count charge brought against him.

All the charges
revolved around the allocation of parcels of land to Mr. El-Rufai’s his
wives, Hadiza El-Rufai and Asia El-Rufai as well as his associates. The
EFCC accused the former minister of ‘wrongfully and/or intentionally’
revoking the portion of land originally allocated to Power Holding
Company of Nigeria Plc for the purpose of reallocating same to his
relatives and friends.

Under Section 19 of
the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act (2000), Mr.
El-Rufai could face a 5 year jail term if found guilty.

Mr. El-Rufai was,
however granted bail of N100 million after his attorney, Akinlolu
Olujimi, SAN, made an oral application for the accused to be granted
bail on the basis of self recognisance.

Mr. El-Rufai is
also to provide a surety as another bail condition and is to be
remanded in the EFCC custody pending the fulfilment of the bail
conditions. He, however met the conditions later in the afternoon and
was subsequently released.

Speaking on the
ability of the former minister to meet his bail condition, his media
aide said: ‘El Rufai has never pretended to be a man branded by
poverty. There is a difference between being successful in private
practice before joining the government. It is unfair to wonder where he
got his bail money from.”

Suing the EFCC

Mr. El-Rufai exited
Court 5 of the Federal High Court and headed for Court 6 of the same
court, amidst a cluttering of reporters and EFCC operators. In Court 6,
Gabriel Kolawole was sitting over another case involving the former
minister. Only this time, the former minister is bringing charges
against the EFCC and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Mr. El-Rufai is asking that the courts should declare that his
actions as the FCT minister were proper and valid under the Nigerian
Law while also challenging the competence of the EFCC to charge him to
court over land matters. Both Mr. Bello and Mr. Kolawole adjourned the
cases to the 22nd and 29th of June, respectively.