By Juliet Ezeh
Malam Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, was on Wednesday reportedly taken into custody by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) shortly after his release by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Sources at the EFCC told our correspondent that El-Rufai had been held at the commission’s Abuja headquarters since Monday, when he arrived for questioning. “We released him today, but he was shortly picked up by ICPC operatives,” a source said. Attempts to obtain official comment from the ICPC spokesperson, John Odey, were unsuccessful, while El-Rufai’s lawyer, A. U. Mustapha (SAN), declined to comment.
El-Rufai faces criminal charges filed by the Federal Government before the Federal High Court, Abuja, related to the alleged unlawful interception of phone communications of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu. The charges, filed under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, include claims that El-Rufai admitted during a television interview that an associate unlawfully intercepted the NSA’s phone communications, which he listened to.
The three counts against him allege: unlawful interception of NSA communications, associating with someone who unlawfully intercepted the calls without reporting it, and using technical equipment in 2026 to commit the offence. The allegations were triggered by his February 13, 2026, appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme in Abuja.
Separately, the Department of State Services (DSS) reopened investigations into the 2019 disappearance of Abubakar Idris, also known as Dadiyata, a lecturer at the Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina State. Sources indicate that El-Rufai’s sons, Bello and Bashir, may be invited to assist investigators, following social media posts that link the family to the case.
A security source also revealed that El-Rufai’s passport was seized at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to prevent him from travelling abroad during ongoing investigations.
Juliet Ezeh is the founder and chief reporter at Westbridge Reporters with over 7 years of experience in journalism. She covers crime, industry, policy, and social developments, delivering timely and accurate reporting.