An aide to former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has provided a detailed update on the politician’s continued detention, eight days after he voluntarily honoured an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a statement issued on Monday, 23, the former governor’s Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, said Mr El-Rufai has remained in custody since reporting at the EFCC’s office on Monday, 16 February.
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According to the statement, the former governor was initially held by the EFCC until the night of Wednesday, 18 February, when he was transferred to the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).
Mr Adekeye said that as of 23 February, Mr El-Rufai’s lawyers had not received any response from the ICPC to an application for bail submitted on his behalf.
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He added that they had also not been shown any remand order authorising his continued detention, despite what he described as the expiration of the 48-hour constitutional window for holding a person without charge.
The aide said the week ahead would be eventful, with at least two court proceedings scheduled in connection with the former governor.
He disclosed that a hearing in Mr El-Rufai’s fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Federal Government, the ICPC, the EFCC and the State Security Service (SSS) has been fixed for 25 February before the FCT High Court. The suit is seeking an order admitting him to bail.
On the same date, Mr El-Rufai is also scheduled for arraignment on charges filed by the SSS, which the statement described as “widely publicised.”
The statement further revealed that Mr El-Rufai has approached a Federal High Court to challenge the legality of a search conducted at his Aso Drive residence on 19 February by ICPC officials.
The suit, filed on 23 February, seeks to have the search warrant declared invalid.
The respondents in the case include the ICPC, the Chief Magistrate of the FCT, the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
According to the statement, the former governor is asking the court to declare the warrant invalid on grounds including lack of particularity, material drafting errors, ambiguity in execution parameters, overbreadth and lack of probable cause.
He is also seeking a declaration that the search violated his fundamental human rights and an injunction restraining authorities from using any items recovered during the search in proceedings against him.
Providing a timeline of events, Mr Adekeye said ICPC officials interrogated Mr El-Rufai on 19 and 20 February. An application for bail was submitted following the interrogation on 19 February, but no response has been received, he said.
He also criticised the 19 February search of the former governor’s residence, quoting his lawyer, Ubong Akpan, as condemning the operation as unlawful and a clear violation of legal procedures and fundamental rights. The lawyer reportedly described the warrant used for the search as defective.
El-Rufai: From EFCC to ICPC custody
Between 16 and 18 February, Mr El-Rufai was held at the EFCC after voluntarily responding to the agency’s invitation.
According to the statement, he was granted administrative bail by the EFCC, with conditions that included providing a serving federal permanent secretary as one of his sureties. His lawyers subsequently applied for a variation of the bail terms.
Despite the grant of administrative bail, he remained in EFCC custody, a development his lawyer reportedly described as unlawful detention without justification.
Mr Adekeye further alleged that Mr El-Rufai’s lawyers and family members experienced difficulties in accessing him while in detention. He said one of his wives was prevented from delivering his meal directly to him on the evening of 17 February and was instructed to pass it through a commission official instead.
The statement also claimed that the former governor suffered an episode of nose bleeding overnight while in custody.
On the night of 18 February, he was transferred from EFCC custody to the ICPC, allegedly without being informed of the reason for the transfer or his destination.
The update also referenced an incident on 12 February, when Mr El-Rufai returned to the country.
According to the statement, his passport was seized at the airport during what it described as a failed attempt to arrest him. His lawyers reportedly condemned the seizure as unlawful.
Mr Adekeye said the aborted arrest came as a surprise because, at the time, Mr El-Rufai had already notified the only agency that had invited him that he would attend its office on 16 February.
He added that no formal statement has been issued by any security agency to explain the events at the airport.
The statement also disclosed that on 12 February, the ICPC delivered a letter requesting that Mr El-Rufai report to its office on 13 February.
Through his lawyers, he proposed to honour the invitation on 18 February, citing the short notice and prior commitments, including his scheduled appearance at the EFCC on 16 February.
As legal proceedings commence this week, the former governor’s team says it is seeking judicial intervention to secure his release and challenge what it describes as violations of his constitutional rights.
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READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW
Update on the detention of Malam Nasir El-Rufai, 23rd February 2026
Today marks eight days since Malam Nasir El-Rufai was detained. He voluntarily reported at the EFCC in the morning of Monday, 16th February 2026 in response to an invitation. He has been held since, first by the EFCC which kept him in custody until the night of Wednesday, 18 February when he was moved to the ICPC. As at today, his lawyers have not received any response from the ICPC to an application for bail; and they have not been shown any remand order as the 48-hour window for holding a person without charge has expired.
This week, the courts would entertain at least two matters related to Malam El-Rufai. Hearing in his fundamental rights case against the Federal Government, the ICPC, the EFCC and the DSS has been fixed for 25th February. This case, which is before the FCT High Court, is seeking an order to admit him to bail.
He is scheduled for arraignment on the same date on the widely publicized charges filed by the DSS.
As what may be an eventful week begins, here is a recap of the fast-moving events since Malam El-Rufai returned to the country on 12th February 2026.
23rd February
Following the 19th February 2026 search of his residence by officials of the ICPC, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has asked a Federal High Court to declare the search warrant as invalid. The case, which seeks the enforcement of his fundamental rights, named as respondents the ICPC, the Chief Magistrate of the FCT, the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The case is seeking a declaration that the search warrant is invalid, for lack of particularity, material drafting errors, ambiguity in execution parameters, overbreadth and lack of probable cause. He is also asking for a declaration that the search constitutes a violation of his fundamental human rights and an injunction against the use of the items taken in the search in any proceedings against him.
20th February
• Further interrogation by ICPC.
19th February
• ICPC searched the Aso Drive residence of Malam Nasir El-Rufai. Mr. Akpan condemned the search “as unlawful and clear violation of legal procedures and fundamental rights”. He said that the home invasion was conducted under adefective warrant.
• Interrogation by ICPC officials. An application for bail was submitted, but has had no response, so far.
16th- 18th February:
• Malam El-Rufai voluntarily attended the offices of the EFCC as he had indicated in response to the commission’s invitation. Following interrogation by EFCC officials, he is granted administrative bail with conditions that included having a serving federal permanent secretary as one of the sureties. His lawyers applied for variation of the bail terms. He remained in the EFCC’s custody, a situation that his lawyer, Ubong Akpan, described as unlawful detention without justification.
• Ubong Akpan also complained that lawyers and family were having difficulties in securing access to him in detention. One of his wives was not allowed to deliver his meal directly to him in the evening of 17th February but was asked to pass it to him through one of the commission’s personnel. His lawyers have reported that he suffered an overnight episode of bleeding from his nose.
• On the night of 18th February, Malam El-Rufai was transferred to the custody of the ICPC without being told where he was being moved or why.
12th February:
• Malam El-Rufai’s passport was snatched at the airport, during a failed attempt to arrest him, a seizure his lawyers condemned as unlawful. This aborted arrest prompted surprise, given that he had already notified the only agency that had invited him as of that moment that he would be attending their office on 16th February. No formal statement has been issued by any security agency to explain the drama at the airport.
• ICPC delivers a letter asking him to report at their office the next day, 13th February. Malam El-Rufai responded through his lawyers that he proposed to honour the invitation on Wednesday, 18th February given the rather short notice and the other activities to which he was committed. In addition, he had already scheduled an appearance at the EFCC on 16th February, the next available business day.
Signed
Muyiwa Adekeye
Media Adviser to Malam Nasir El-Rufai
23rd February 2026
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