The dramatic twist in bail talks leaves former Kaduna governor detained as anti-graft agency tightens grip amid N433 billion corruption probe; DSS cybercrime charges loom
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has spent a third consecutive day in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following a dramatic collapse of bail negotiations, multiple sources have confirmed. A senior federal Permanent Secretary who had volunteered to stand as surety abruptly withdrew from the process after allegedly receiving threats, leaving the embattled former governor in legal limbo .
Bail Arrangement Unravels
The EFCC had initially granted El-Rufai administrative bail on the condition that two high-ranking federal officials—a Permanent Secretary and a Director in a federal ministry—act as sureties. However, when the Permanent Secretary arrived at the commission's Abuja headquarters to complete the paperwork, the anti-graft agency reportedly hesitated and later declined to proceed with the arrangement .
Sources close to the matter revealed that the senior civil servant subsequently backed out entirely after allegedly receiving threats, raising serious concerns about possible intimidation and interference in the high-profile case . The development has effectively stalled El-Rufai's release, with investigators continuing to grill him over allegations of large-scale corruption during his eight-year tenure as governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023 .
The N433 Billion Allegation
El-Rufai is being investigated for allegedly misappropriating more than ₦433 billion in public funds, an investigation rooted in a 2024 report by the Kaduna State House of Assembly's ad hoc committee . Presenting the committee's findings, chairman Henry Zacharia alleged that most loans obtained during El-Rufai's administration were not utilized for their intended purposes.
Kaduna Assembly Speaker Yusuf Dahiru Leman has claimed that approximately ₦423 billion was siphoned under El-Rufai's watch, leaving the state with heavy financial liabilities and a ballooning debt profile . The legislative report also referenced disputed cash payments and contracts exceeding ₦155 million, alleged diversion of ₦1.37 billion earmarked for a light rail project, and purported laundering of ₦64.8 million by senior aides .
The Assembly subsequently petitioned both the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to prosecute the former governor and several cabinet members over alleged abuse of office, award of contracts without due process, diversion of public funds, money laundering, and reckless borrowing .
El-Rufai has consistently denied the allegations, describing the probe as politically motivated and insisting that all loans obtained during his tenure were duly appropriated and applied to infrastructural development, education reforms, healthcare upgrades, and security interventions .
ICPC Summons in Jeopardy
El-Rufai was also scheduled to appear before the ICPC on Wednesday for questioning over separate corruption allegations . However, his continued detention by the EFCC has cast serious doubt on whether he can honour that invitation. His legal team has reportedly written to the ICPC to formally notify the commission of the circumstances preventing their client from attending the scheduled interrogation .
The former governor had previously sought to reschedule his ICPC appearance. In a February 13 letter signed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Wole Iyamu, his lawyers explained that the invitation was received at about 4:30 p.m. on February 12, making it "manifestly impossible" to meet the original deadline . The letter emphasized that El-Rufai "remains fully committed to cooperating with any lawful investigation and has never, at any time, sought to evade legitimate inquiry" .
DSS Files Cybercrime Charges
Compounding El-Rufai's legal troubles, the Department of State Services (DSS) has filed a three-count charge against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations that he unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu .
Court documents indicate that the charges, marked FHC/CR/99/2026, were filed in the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as complainant, with El-Rufai, 65, listed as the sole defendant . The charge sheet is dated February 16, 2026 .
According to the documents, the prosecution alleges that El-Rufai made incriminating admissions during a televised interview on February 13, 2026, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV's Prime Time programme in Abuja .
The Three Counts
Count One alleges that El-Rufai admitted to unlawfully intercepting the phone communications of the NSA, an act said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024 .
In Count Two, prosecutors allege that El-Rufai acknowledged knowing and relating with individuals who allegedly intercepted the NSA's communications, but failed to report them to relevant security agencies, an offence cited under Section 27(b) of the same Act .
Count Three further accuses El-Rufai and "others still at large" of using technical systems that allegedly compromised public safety and national security by unlawfully intercepting the NSA's phone communications, contrary to Section 131(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 .
The charge sheet lists Ernest O.M., Owan O.M., U.M. Bulla, C.S. Eze (PhD), and E.G. Orubor as counsel for the prosecution, acting on behalf of the Department of State Services .
The charges stem from El-Rufai's February 13 interview, in which he claimed he learned of an alleged plan to arrest him through a leaked conversation from the NSA's phone .
"Ribadu made the call, because we listened to their calls. The government thinks that they are the only ones who listen to calls. But we also have our ways. He made the call, he gave the order that they should arrest me," El-Rufai said during the interview . He acknowledged that the interception was "technically illegal" but claimed that such practices are routinely carried out by the government .
Dadiyata Case Reopened
In a parallel development, the DSS has reopened investigations into the 2019 disappearance of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, and has begun probing El-Rufai and his sons over the case . Dadiyata, a lecturer at the Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina State, was declared missing on August 1, 2019, after gunmen reportedly took him from his residence in Kaduna. His whereabouts remain unknown nearly seven years later .
A security source told reporters that the DSS recently seized El-Rufai's passport at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to prevent him from travelling abroad while investigations are ongoing .
Political Fallout
El-Rufai's detention has triggered divided reactions. At the EFCC headquarters, hundreds of demonstrators under the aegis of the Mega National Movement for Good Governance stormed the premises, demanding a thorough probe and carrying placards with inscriptions such as "Answer the charges El-Rufai" and "El-Rufai not above the law" .
Simultaneously, El-Rufai's supporters gathered near the commission, chanting solidarity songs and holding placards reading "El-Rufai is a citizen, not a subject" and "We stand with El-Rufai. We stand for law" .
The former governor, who left the All Progressives Congress in 2025 for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has become a vocal critic of the Tinubu administration . He has consistently framed the multiple investigations as political persecution by a government he now opposes .
As El-Rufai remains in custody for a third day, his legal team continues negotiations for his release. The convergence of EFCC detention, fresh criminal charges, DSS investigations, and the collapse of bail arrangements underscores the extraordinary legal pressure bearing down on one of Nigeria's most prominent political figures.
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