\n\nAbuja, Nigeria, Former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after voluntarily honouring an invitation by the anti-graft agency for questioning over alleged corruption and financial misconduct during his tenure.
El-Rufai, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), presented himself at the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Abuja on Monday morning, February 16, in response to an invitation issued by the commission. He was grilled for several hours by detectives investigating allegations arising from a 2024 report by the Kaduna State House of Assembly, which accused his administration of misappropriating loans, breaching due process in contract awards and leaving the state with a significant debt burden.
According to a senior source within the EFCC, the former governor arrived around 10am and was interrogated throughout the day before being kept in custody. “As a commission, we do not rush to invite suspects. Persons accused are usually invited after investigations have reached an advanced stage,” the official said, confirming that El-Rufai would spend the night in EFCC custody.
El-Rufai’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, in a late-night statement on Monday, said the former governor had a “frank and fruitful interaction” with EFCC officials, whom his counsel described as professional in their conduct, and that he remained with the commission after the session.
The allegations centre on a ₦432 billion financial investigation, with the Kaduna House of Assembly accusing the 2015–2023 administration of misuse of public funds, contract irregularities, disputed cash payments, and alleged money laundering by senior aides. The Assembly had earlier petitioned anti-corruption agencies, including the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to investigate and prosecute those implicated in the report.
In a development running parallel to the EFCC probe, the Federal Government, through the Department of State Services (DSS), has filed a three-count criminal charge against El-Rufai at the Federal High Court, Abuja. The charges allege that he and others unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, based on comments he made during a February 13 interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme.
The charge sheet, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, states that El-Rufai admitted knowledge of the interception and failed to report it to the relevant security agencies — acts the prosecution says contravene the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
The news of the detention sparked reactions across the country, with protests recorded both in Abuja and Kaduna. Supporters of the former governor gathered at the EFCC headquarters chanting solidarity messages, while other groups demanded a thorough investigation and called for accountability for alleged mismanagement of public funds. Hundreds of protesters in Kaduna also marched to the State House of Assembly, seeking updates on the anti-graft investigation into El-Rufai’s administration.
El-Rufai has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the allegations as politically motivated. In previous statements, he has criticised what he described as selective enforcement of the law and has insisted that all loans and funds obtained during his tenure were properly used for infrastructural development, education, healthcare, and security interventions.
As of Tuesday morning, February 17, 2026, El-Rufai remains in EFCC custody, and it is not yet clear whether formal charges will be filed against him or when he might be released.
