Nasir El-Rufai, a former Kaduna State governor and minister, has been held for 18 days. El-Rufai, a ministerial nominee of President Bola Tinubu, is battling multiple charges and investigations. He walked into the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters on February 16, 2026, but has since been in custody of federal authorities.
WITHIN NIGERIA learned that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) transferred Nasir El-Rufai to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) on the evening of February 18.
It was also learned that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) obtained a 14-day remand warrant for the former governor, which is set to expire on March 5.
The 14-day remand warrant acquired by the ICPC expired on Thursday evening, March 5, but Nasir El-Rufai remains in detention and has not been freed or formally charged in court, as at the time of filing this report.
However, some Nigerians, particularly supporters of the former Kaduna governor, have decried Nasir El-Rufai’s continuing detention, describing it as a politically motivated witch-hunting and urged the ICPC to release him.
Issues before Nasir El-Rufai?
In 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly charged Nasir El-Rufai for stealing N423 billion in public monies and money laundering. They accused him of stealing N1.37 billion set out for a light rail project, as well as N64.8 million that senior aides reportedly laundered.
They further accused him of being involved in over N155 million disputed transactions, excluding €1.4 million and 180 payments totaling N2.158 billion from a Consolidated Revenue Account linked to Kaduna State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) account.
During a February 2026 appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time, Nasir El-Rufai admitted to listening in on calls from National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. The Department of State Services (DSS) has charged El-Rufai with three counts of cybercrime, including illegally eavesdropping calls from National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
