Former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has been admitted to temporary bail by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), as a result of the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, on Friday.
Hajiya Umma El-Rufai reportedly passed away at about the age of 100 years.
The temporary bail granted him is to enable the former governor perform the funeral rites of his late mother who died in Cairo, Egypt, after a period of sickness.
El-Rufai’s son, Bashir, confirmed his father’s release in a post on his X handle Friday night.
He wrote: “Alhamdulillah. My beloved great legend of a father (@elrufai) is being released from his unlawful and illegal detention at the hands of one of the most corrupt agencies in the Federal Republic of Nigeria that is a lame excuse of a pathetic institution.
“Thank you all for all the support. Our family shall never forget these times. We have overcome, as the El-Rufai’s always do.”
Meanwhile, notable Nigerians, including President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, have paid tributes to the late Hajiya El-Rufai.
Her passing comes just a week after the death of her daughter-in-law, Safiya Ali Rufai, compounding the family’s grief.
Hajiya El-Rufai’s death was announced on Friday by her grandson, Bello El-Rufai, in a Facebook post in which he expressed gratitude for her life and called for prayers for her soul.
“Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. From Allah SWT we came, and to Him we shall all return. I would like to inform the public of the demise of my grandmother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, who passed away a few hours ago,” the post read.
But, can ICPC grant bail in a matter it has taken to court and the court has assumed jurisdiction on it and adjourned? Time will tell.