The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has confirmed that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, is currently in its custody.
Earlier reports indicated that el-Rufai had been taken into custody by the Department of State Services after spending two nights at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. It remains unclear whether he was subsequently transferred from the DSS to the ICPC as part of the ongoing investigations.
In a brief statement issued on Wednesday night, the ICPC’s spokesperson, J. Okor Odey, confirmed that the former governor was being held in connection with an investigation. However, the commission did not provide specific details about the allegations under review.
According to the statement, Malam Nasiru el-Rufai was in the custody of the commission as of the close of work on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, and is being questioned in relation to ongoing inquiries.
El-Rufai had earlier honoured an invitation by the EFCC on Monday over allegations of financial misconduct during his tenure as governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023. In 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly recommended that anti-corruption agencies investigate him over the alleged diversion of N423 billion in public funds as well as claims of money laundering.
The former governor has also faced separate invitations from the ICPC in recent months.
Last week, there were reports that security operatives attempted to detain him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja shortly after he arrived from Cairo, Egypt. El-Rufai later alleged that the ICPC, acting on the directive of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, instructed the DSS to arrest him upon arrival.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme, el-Rufai claimed that he was able to listen to a conversation in which the NSA allegedly directed security operatives to carry out the arrest, stating that Ribadu’s phone had been wiretapped.
On Monday, the DSS filed a three-count charge against el-Rufai, accusing him of unlawfully intercepting the telephone conversation of the National Security Adviser.
As of the time of this report, the ICPC has not released further details on the specific nature of its ongoing investigation.
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