By Olawale Lamina
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ,ICPC, has confirmed that Malam Nasiru El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna state is in its custody, amidst earlier speculations that he was handed over to the Department of State Services, DSS, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
In a terse press release, ICPC’s Head Media and Public Communications/ /Spokesperson, Mr John Okor Odey said:
“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 came in as at 11:40pm yesterday, about same hour when Mallam Nasir el Rufai was initially said to have been picked up by operatives of the DSS, following allegation of the detainee’s refusal to write a statement in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, where he had spent two nights undergoing investigations on matters relating to alleged misappropriation of loans, violation of due process in contract awards, money laundering and inflicting heavy debt burden on Kaduna state as former governor.
Unconfirmed reports say El Rufai was handed over to the ICPC by the DSS for further investigation on financial misappropriation.
Recall that, last Thursday the former governor’s international passport was seized by DSS officers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe international airport, Abuja, to prevent him from further travels after arriving the country from Cairo,Egypt.
From the twists in El Rufai’s case, The Pinnacle Times can hazard a guess that the opposition ADC bigwig is likely to face investigation rigmarole among the nation’s topmost security agencies- the EFCC, ICPC and the DSS, as investigations into the allegations of financial misappropriation and disappearance of some of his critics continued.
It is also certain that, in the coming days, the DSS will be meeting the former Kaduna state governor in court over allegations bothering on national security breach, especially the case of wire tapping involving the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
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