EX Kaduna State Gov Nasir El-Rufai Detained By EFCC, DSS, And ICPC

EX Kaduna state governor Nasir El-Rufai has recently been caught up in a series of detentions by different government agencies.
On Monday February 16, 2026 the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) took him into custody and questioned him over allegations of misusing N432 billion public funds during his tenure as governor.



After two days of questioning, the EFCC granted him administrative bail around 8 p.m. on Wednesday February 18, 2026. But as soon as he stepped out of their Abuja headquarters, operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) were waiting and arrested him on the spot.

The DSS arrested him for the comments he made in a February interview on Arise TV where he talked about getting advance information from a tapped phone conversation involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.

The DSS has since filed a three-count charge against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja (case FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026). The charges include unlawfully intercepting communications, failing to report it, and acts that could affect national security under Nigeria's cybercrime and related laws.

The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) also confirmed late Wednesday that they have taken El-Rufai into custody over their separate ongoing investigations into alleged corruption from his governorship period.