El-Rufai Detained by EFCC Over ₦432bn Probe

By 𝔸bdulrazak Tomiwa

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday following hours of interrogation. 

He had voluntarily honored an invitation to the commission’s Abuja headquarters to address allegations of misappropriating ₦432 billion during his eight-year administration.

The detention is linked to a 2024 report by the Kaduna State House of Assembly, which indicted El-Rufai for financial mismanagement and money laundering between 2015 and 2023.

State lawmakers recommended his prosecution after an ad-hoc committee alleged that significant loans and state funds were siphoned or applied without due process.

Confirming his status, a senior official at the anti-graft agency noted that the former governor would remain in their facility as questioning continues.

Regarding his stay, the source stated, “He is still in our custody and wouldn’t be released today.”

Simultaneously, the Department of State Services (DSS) has filed a three-count criminal charge against El-Rufai at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The secret police allege he committed cybercrime by unlawfully intercepting the private telephone conversations of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

The DSS charges stem from a recent Arise TV interview where El-Rufai admitted he and his associates listened to the NSA’s calls, claiming they heard instructions to arrest him. This admission has sparked a national security controversy, with the government labeling it a “serious breach of communications laws.”

As El-Rufai’s legal team prepares for multiple court battles, his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, described the interactions with the EFCC as professional. However, the dual pressure from the EFCC and the DSS signals an intense legal confrontation for the former governor, who has recently emerged as a fierce critic of the current administration.