Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, spent a second night in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Thursday, amid objections from his legal team over the search of his residence.
El-Rufai was initially detained on Monday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and released late Wednesday, only to be immediately taken into custody by the ICPC, where he has remained since.
Before his arrest, the former governor had written to the ICPC through his lawyers, expressing his willingness to honour an invitation scheduled for Tuesday. This followed an earlier incident at the airport where his passport was reportedly seized by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
An ICPC official confirmed on Thursday night that El-Rufai was still being held by the commission but declined to disclose details of the investigation or the specific allegations involved.
The commission had earlier acknowledged taking custody of the former governor on Wednesday night, similarly refusing to state the offence under investigation. While there have been unverified claims linking the probe to the failed N11.1 billion Joint Venture Kaduna light rail project, efforts to independently confirm this have so far been unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, El-Rufai’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, disclosed via social media that ICPC operatives searched the former governor’s residence on Aso Drive, Abuja. According to him, El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, described the action as unlawful, alleging that it violated due process and the former governor’s fundamental rights.
