El-Rufai family blasts ICPC over continued detention ex-gov

The family of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has called for his immediate release from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), describing his continued detention as unlawful.

In a statement issued on Friday and signed by his son, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency, the family alleged that there was no valid legal basis for the former governor’s continued detention.

According to the statement, El-Rufai was first taken into custody by the anti-corruption agency on February 18, 2026.

The family said the ICPC subsequently obtained a remand order from a magistrate court on February 19 to detain him, but argued that the order was defective and legally permitted only a 14-day detention period.

They stated that the remand period had since expired without the commission filing any charges against him in a competent court or securing a fresh court order to extend his detention.

“As of today, March 6, 2026, Nasir El-Rufai remains in ICPC custody under circumstances that have no basis in law,” the statement said.

The family accused the anti-graft agency of failing in its legal obligation to either formally charge the former governor or release him, describing the continued detention as unlawful.

They further alleged that the development suggested that the agency was being used for political persecution rather than acting as an independent institution.

“The path forward is clear and logical: release him immediately. Their refusal to do so confirms what we have long feared—that the ICPC is being wielded as a tool for political persecution rather than operating as an impartial institution of justice,” the statement added.

The family therefore demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the former governor.

El-Rufai served as governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023 and remains a prominent political figure in Nigeria. As of the time of filing this report, the ICPC had not issued an official response to the family’s claims.