The Chief Judge of Kaduna State, Justice Muhammad Aliyu, on Wednesday, turned down former Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s request for the criminal case against him to be transferred from the court of Justice Darius Hyet Khobo to another judge.
Naija News understands that El-Rufai is standing trial before the Kaduna State High Court on a nine-count charge filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The former governor had complained about the conduct of the trial judge in separate petitions submitted by himself and his lawyer, Unong Akpan, and asked the Chief Judge to reassign the matter.
But Justice Aliyu, after reviewing the complaints and an investigative report, ruled that there was no sufficient reason to move the case.
In a letter dated August 19 and addressed to Justice Khobo, the Chief Judge said he had examined the petitions filed on June 30 and July 6, as well as the trial judge’s responses.
Aliyu said he invoked his powers under Section 111(1)-(4) of the Kaduna State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2017, to set up a three-member panel of legal practitioners to investigate the allegations.
The panel submitted its findings on August 18. According to the Chief Judge, the committee found nothing that warranted transferring the case to another judge.
He stated, “The committee found no basis for the exercise of my administrative powers to transfer the matter from your lordship to another judge of the High Court of Justice, Kaduna State.
“Accordingly, your lordship shall proceed with the hearing and determination of the matter in accordance with the law and fairness.”
El-Rufai’s July 6 petition contained a series of allegations against Justice Khobo.
The former governor accused the judge of bias and claimed that a ruling delivered on June 10 suggested the judge had already formed an opinion about his guilt before the substantive trial concluded.
He further alleged that the judge had participated in meetings involving political, religious and community leaders from Southern Kaduna who, according to him, were opposed to his administration.
El-Rufai claimed that information reaching him indicated that the judge attended at least three gatherings in Kaduna and Southern Kaduna between March and May 2026.
He alleged that the gatherings were presented as social or family events but that political matters were discussed, including his pending case.
El-Rufai stated, “I have been reliably informed by my network of loyalists, and I verily believe, that Hon. Justice Darius Hyet Khobo has attended no fewer than three interactions in Kaduna metropolis and Southern Kaduna with some Southern Kaduna political, religious and community leaders.
“At these interactions disguised as social or family events, which took place between March and May 2026, the learned trial judge made firm commitments and statements to the effect that he would never grant me bail, and that he would ensure my conviction when the time came.”
The former governor linked the alleged hostility to political disagreements arising from actions taken by his administration during his eight years in office.
He cited security measures introduced in Southern Kaduna, including the establishment of military and police formations, which he said helped to curb communal violence in the area.
El-Rufai argued that those measures created enemies for his administration and alleged that some of them were now seeking to use the court proceedings to settle old scores.
He alleged, “But for this and other reasons, my administration and I made enemies. And those enemies have found, in the person of Hon. Justice Darius Hyet Khobo, a judicial instrument for their vengeance.
“I do not allege that the learned trial judge is himself a member of this cabal, even though he could as well be. I allege something more dangerous: that he has allowed himself to be used as its instrument.
“Your Lordship, a judge who attends what are clearly political interactions in the stronghold of the defendant’s adversaries and promises them his conviction is not a judge. He is a participant in a conspiracy against the defendant.”
El-Rufai Asks CJ To Reassign Case
El-Rufai asked the Chief Judge to withdraw Charge No. KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/2026 from Justice Khobo and assign it to another judge of the Kaduna State High Court.
He also requested that pending applications in the case, including his disclosure and strike-out applications, be heard afresh by the judge who would take over the matter.
The former governor stressed that his request was not aimed at securing bail or interfering with an appeal already before the Court of Appeal.
He added, “For the avoidance of doubt, I do not by this letter seek bail, nor any review of the merits of the bail ruling, nor any interference with the appeal pending before the Court of Appeal, the determination of which is reserved to that court.”
His lawyer, Akpan, had in an earlier petition dated June 30 made similar allegations of bias against Justice Khobo and also asked that the case be reassigned.
However, following the investigation by the three-member committee, the Chief Judge rejected the request and directed Justice Khobo to proceed with the trial in accordance with the law.
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