Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, has remained in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for a second night as investigators continue questioning him over an alleged N432 billion corruption case tied to his eight-year tenure.
El-Rufai arrived at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja at about 10 a.m. on Monday in response to an invitation from the anti-corruption agency.
He was later detained as questioning extended into Tuesday, with indications that the commission may apply for a court-approved remand order to keep him beyond the statutory 48-hour detention period allowed without judicial authorisation.
An EFCC official, who spoke anonymously because he was not permitted to comment publicly, refuted social media reports claiming the former governor had been released.
“Forget the speculations being peddled on social media that he has been released.
“He has not. El-Rufai is still with us and will be spending another night in custody,” the source said.
The official added that investigators are considering seeking a remand order to allow them sufficient time to complete their inquiries.
“The investigators need some time with him to answer questions arising from his eight years as governor in Kaduna State,” the source added.
El-Rufai’s counsel, A.U. Mustapha, confirmed during a phone interview on Tuesday that his client remained in EFCC custody, stressing that the former governor had cooperated fully with investigators.
“Well, as a responsible citizen, he was invited and, true to his word, he honoured the invitation.
“As we speak, he is still with the EFCC. He is cooperating to the best of his capacity, and we hope that the EFCC, given its integrity, will be kind enough to admit him to bail because he is presumed innocent”, Mustapha said.
The Senior Advocate described his client as law-abiding and not a flight risk.
“He came to Nigeria on his own volition. He wrote a letter that he was going to honour the EFCC invitation, and he kept his word as a man of integrity. We’re hopeful that very soon he will be granted bail,” he added.
Mustapha, however, declined to address the substance of the allegations or provide details of the interrogation.
“You’re asking the right question from the wrong person. That question can only be answered by the EFCC and not by me. I would just be speculating, and lawyers don’t do that,” he said, noting that discussing the interrogation would be confidential and potentially prejudicial.
The EFCC probe followed a 2024 report issued by an ad hoc committee of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, which examined the state’s finances, loans, and contracts awarded between 2015 and 2023 during El-Rufai’s administration.
The committee, chaired by Henry Zacharia, alleged that several loans secured by the state during that period were not applied to their intended purposes.
While presenting the report, the Speaker of the House, Yusuf Leman, claimed that approximately N423 billion was allegedly misappropriated under the former governor’s leadership.
The panel recommended that El-Rufai and some former cabinet members be investigated and prosecuted over allegations including abuse of office, diversion of public funds, money laundering, contract awards without due process, and reckless borrowing.
The Assembly subsequently forwarded petitions to the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
El-Rufai has repeatedly denied the claims, describing the legislative investigation as politically driven.
He has maintained that loans obtained during his administration were duly approved and invested in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and security initiatives.
An EFCC source earlier revealed that the commission had been investigating the allegations for about a year before inviting the former governor for questioning.
“As a commission, we don’t just rush to invite suspects. Persons accused are always the last; that is, after we might have done our investigation to an advanced stage. We are investigating him on the allegations against him by the Kaduna State Assembly,” the source said.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
