Malam Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, is now in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over a fresh investigation.
The former governor’s detention by the anti-graft agency was confirmed on Wednesday night, following a tumultuous 48 hours that saw him move between multiple security agencies.
El-Rufai had initially been held by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before being granted bail. He was, however, rearrested shortly after.
There were conflicting reports regarding the nature of his arrest, with the Department of State Services (DSS) filing criminal charges against him in connection with an alleged wiretapping scandal.
The DSS accused the former governor of illegally intercepting the telephone lines of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
However, in a statement issued on Wednesday, the ICPC clarified that El-Rufai was in its facility. J. Okor Odey, the Commission’s Head of Media and Public Communications, confirmed that the former governor was taken into their custody late Wednesday evening in connection with ongoing investigations.
“The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) writes to state that Malam Nasiru El-Rufai the former Governor of Kaduna state is in our custody as at close of work today Wednesday the 18th day of February, 2026. Malam Nasiru El-Rufai is in the custody of the Commission in connection with investigations,” the statement read.
Mr. Odey was silent on the specific details of the investigation, but the development adds a new layer to the former governor’s mounting legal challenges.
The saga began last Thursday when security operatives attempted to arrest El-Rufai upon his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, from Cairo, Egypt. Days later, while appearing as a guest on Arise Television, El-Rufai alleged that the ICPC, acting on orders from the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, had directed the DSS to arrest him. When asked how he obtained this information, the former governor stated that Ribadu’s phone had been intercepted.
It was on the basis of this television appearance that the DSS filed a three-count charge against him before the Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing him of breaching the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
The charges specifically cite his admission on live television that he and his associates unlawfully intercepted the NSA’s communications, and his failure to report the individuals involved in the interception to security agencies.
Beyond the wiretapping allegations, El-Rufai also faces separate, longstanding accusations of financial impropriety from his time as governor. In 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly indicted him over the alleged diversion of N423 billion in public funds and money laundering. The assembly had called for him to be investigated by anti-graft agencies, allegations El-Rufai has vehemently denied.
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