Operatives of the Department of State Services have taken former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai into custody following two nights of questioning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Abuja, according to multiple security sources.
El-Rufai was reportedly picked up on Wednesday night from the EFCC headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory. Insiders said investigators at the anti-graft agency had sought to obtain a written statement from the former governor during his stay but that he declined to provide one.
The former governor had presented himself at the EFCC on Monday after receiving an invitation over alleged financial improprieties during his tenure between 2015 and 2023. In 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly indicted him over the alleged diversion of N423 billion in public funds and recommended that anti-corruption agencies investigate the matter. He has also been invited for questioning by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
Last week, security operatives attempted to arrest El-Rufai at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport shortly after he arrived from Cairo, Egypt. He later alleged that the ICPC acted on the instruction of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, directing DSS officials to effect his arrest.
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During an appearance on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television, El-Rufai claimed that Ribadu’s telephone conversation had been intercepted, enabling him to hear instructions allegedly given for his arrest. On Monday, the DSS filed a three-count charge against him for alleged unlawful interception of the NSA’s telephone communication.
Sources within the security community insist that the DSS action is unrelated to the EFCC’s corruption probe. A senior official said the matter concerns an escalating security issue separate from the financial investigation.
The development deepens the legal and political challenges facing the former Kaduna governor, whose recent public comments and legal battles have intensified scrutiny around his role in both governance and national security matters.
