Share!
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was detained on Monday night at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja after hours of interrogation over an alleged N432 billion corruption probe.
Multiple sources within the anti-graft agency confirmed that El-Rufai, who arrived at the commission’s Jabi office around 10 a.m. in response to an invitation, was questioned over allegations stemming from the 2024 report of the Kaduna State House of Assembly. The report accused his administration of misappropriating loans, breaching due process in contract awards and significantly increasing the state’s debt profile between 2015 and 2023.
A senior EFCC official said investigations had been ongoing for about a year before the former governor was invited. “We don’t rush to invite suspects. By the time we do, investigations are at an advanced stage,” the source said, adding late Monday that El-Rufai would not be released that night.
EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale confirmed that the former governor honoured the commission’s invitation but declined further comments.
The probe follows the adoption of a report by the Kaduna State House of Assembly which alleged that over N423 billion was siphoned during El-Rufai’s tenure. The committee, chaired by Henry Zacharia, recommended investigation and prosecution of the former governor and several of his appointees over alleged abuse of office, diversion of public funds and reckless borrowing.
El-Rufai has consistently denied wrongdoing, maintaining that loans obtained under his administration were duly appropriated and invested in infrastructure, education, healthcare and security.
In a parallel development, the Federal Government filed a three-count charge against El-Rufai before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged unlawful interception of the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. The charge, filed under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, followed comments the former governor made during a television interview in which he claimed knowledge of a tapped phone conversation involving the NSA.
According to court documents, the prosecution alleged that El-Rufai admitted to intercepting or having knowledge of intercepted communications without reporting the matter to authorities, an offence punishable under relevant cybercrime laws. No date had been fixed for his arraignment as of press time.
The legal pressure intensified as the Department of State Services (DSS) reportedly reopened investigations into the 2019 disappearance of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata. Security sources said the former governor’s passport was seized to prevent him from travelling abroad while inquiries continue. El-Rufai has denied any involvement in the disappearance.
Monday’s developments sparked protests in Abuja and Kaduna. At the EFCC headquarters, groups of demonstrators gathered, some demanding accountability over the alleged financial mismanagement, while others expressed support for the former governor, describing the investigations as politically motivated.
In Kaduna, civil society groups called for updates on the legislative probe and urged authorities to ensure that due process is followed.
The unfolding investigations mark one of the most significant legal challenges faced by a former state governor in recent years. With EFCC detention, fresh cybercrime charges and a reopened security investigation converging, El-Rufai’s legal and political future now appears increasingly uncertain as the mat
ter shifts to the courts
