ICPC takes El-Rufai into custody amid ongoing investigations
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has confirmed that former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is currently in its custody.
The development follows earlier reports that the former governor was taken into custody by the Department of State Services (DSS) after spending two nights at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
It remains unclear whether the DSS subsequently handed him over to the ICPC as part of the ongoing investigations.
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In a brief statement issued on Wednesday night, the ICPC’s spokesperson, J. Okor Odey, confirmed that El-Rufai was taken into custody in connection with investigations but did not provide details about the nature of the probe.
“The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) writes to state that Malam Nasiru El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, is in our custody as at close of work today, Wednesday, the 18th day of February, 2026. Malam Nasiru El-Rufai is in the custody of the Commission in connection with investigations,” the statement read.
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On Monday, El-Rufai had presented himself at the EFCC headquarters following an invitation over alleged financial improprieties during his tenure as governor between 2015 and 2023.
In 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly reportedly indicted him over the alleged diversion of ₦423 billion in public funds and money laundering, urging anti-graft agencies to investigate the matter.
The former governor has also faced scrutiny over events at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, where security operatives allegedly attempted to arrest him upon his arrival from Cairo, Egypt, last Thursday.
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El-Rufai later alleged that the ICPC acted on the instruction of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who he claimed directed the DSS to arrest him.
Speaking during an interview on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television, El-Rufai alleged that someone had wiretapped Ribadu’s phone, enabling him to listen to a directive ordering his arrest.
On Monday, the DSS filed a three-count charge against the former governor for allegedly intercepting the National Security Adviser’s telephone conversation.
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