Toba Owojaiye reporting
Kaduna, Nigeria
The Federal High Court in Kaduna has ordered the interim forfeiture of N1.37 billion allegedly diverted from the Kaduna State Government’s coffers during the tenure of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai (2015–2023). The funds, part of the N11.1 billion earmarked for the now-failed Kaduna Light Rail project, were allegedly funneled into a private account.
Truth Live News gathered that Justice H. Buhari issued the forfeiture order on February 28, 2025, following an ex parte application by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The commission claims the money was siphoned through Indo Kaduna MRTS JV Nig. Ltd., a joint venture set up in 2016 between the Kaduna State Government and Indian investors.
According to the ICPC, the light rail project was meant to transform Kaduna’s public transportation, easing congestion and boosting economic activities. However, despite the release of N11.1 billion between December 2016 and January 2017, no rail system was built.
Shockingly, at the time of the first payment in December 2016, Indo Kaduna MRTS JV Nig. Ltd. was not even a legally registered entity. The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) only formally incorporated it on May 10, 2017—five months after payments had already begun.
The anti-graft agency tracked N1.373 billion from the funds to a private account, prompting the court to grant an interim forfeiture while investigations continue.
ICPC’s lawyer, E.O. Akponimisingha, moved the application on February 28. As it was an ex parte hearing, only the ICPC presented its case, without the presence of any opposing parties.
In granting the interim forfeiture, Justice Buhari also directed the ICPC to publish a notice in two national newspapers, inviting any individual or entity with claims to the funds to present their case before the court. The judge set April 8, 2025, as the date for further proceedings.
The investigation stems from a petition filed by M. Yahaya, a lawyer from NUS’ AB Chambers, Abuja, on June 27, 2024. The petition, received by the ICPC on July 1, 2024, detailed allegations of large-scale financial misappropriation by officials of the El-Rufai administration.
Several of El-Rufai’s former aides are already facing corruption charges before various bodies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Code of Conduct Tribunal, and the ICPC itself. Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Government has launched its own probe into alleged financial mismanagement under El-Rufai’s leadership.
However, the former governor and his associates have dismissed these investigations as a politically motivated witch-hunt. They argue that the attempt to seize the rail project funds—described by them as private assets—represents “oppression and an abuse of power” and could deter future foreign investments in the state.
The Kaduna Light Rail project is just one in a series of high-profile infrastructure failures across Nigeria. Between 2010 and 2023, Nigeria spent over $4 billion on railway projects, many of which remain incomplete or underutilized due to corruption, poor planning, and mismanagement.
Kaduna’s case adds to the growing list of abandoned projects, raising concerns about governance, accountability, and the fate of public investments in Nigeria.
As the court proceedings unfold, one question remains: Will the recovered funds be reinvested in Kaduna’s development, or will they disappear into another bureaucratic black hole?
With the court set to hear claims on April 8, all eyes are on the ICPC, Kaduna State Government, and former El-Rufai officials. If no legitimate claimant comes forward, the money could be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
For the people of Kaduna, who were promised a modern rail system but left with nothing, this case is not just about accountability—it’s about justice.