Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State and a leader in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is currently being held by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja.
While some of his supporters suggested he had been released, high-level sources at the agency confirmed he is still in custody because he “has a lot to answer for” and will likely stay with interrogators for some time.
Investigators are reportedly considering a court-ordered remand to ensure they can build a “water-tight case against him.”
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El-Rufai arrived at the EFCC headquarters around 11 am yesterday to honor an invitation regarding his time as governor.
This follows a 2024 report from the Kaduna State House of Assembly which alleged that his administration siphoned N423 billion and mishandled loans.
The committee’s chairman, Henry Zacharia, noted that loans were not used for their intended purposes, leading to recommendations that El-Rufai be prosecuted for “abuse of office, diversion of public funds, and money laundering.”
Although his spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, previously called these claims “scandalous,” the legal pressure is increasing.
In addition to the EFCC probe, the Department of State Services (DSS) has filed a three-count criminal charge against him for allegedly bugging the phone of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
The DSS claims that during a televised interview, El-Rufai “admitted that he and some associates unlawfully intercepted the private phone communications of the NSA.”
The situation has caused a political stir, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar accusing the government of “persecuting El-Rufai.”
Meanwhile, the former governor is also expected to appear before the ICPC on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
Despite the “airport drama” last week where he accused Ribadu of orchestrating a failed arrest, an EFCC source made it clear that El-Rufai would “definitely spend the night with investigators as the investigation was yet to be concluded.”
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