Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, was held on Monday night at the Abuja headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after undergoing extensive questioning over an alleged multibillion-naira corruption case.
Sources within the anti-graft agency said the former governor arrived at the commission’s Jabi office around 10am in response to an invitation and was interrogated over findings contained in a 2024 report by the Kaduna State House of Assembly. The report accused his administration of mismanaging loans, breaching due process in contract awards and pushing the state into substantial debt.
One senior EFCC official disclosed that the probe had been ongoing for months before the invitation was extended.
“The commission has been investigating him for about a year now. As a commission, we don’t just rush to invite suspects. Persons accused are always the last; that is after we might have done our investigation to an advanced stage.
“We are investigating him on the allegations against him by the Kaduna State Assembly,” the source said.
When asked whether the former governor would be released that night, the official responded, “He is still in our custody and wouldn’t be released today (Monday).”
EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed that el-Rufai honoured the invitation but declined to comment further on the details of the interrogation or possible next steps.
In addition to the alleged N423bn misappropriation flagged by the state assembly, el-Rufai is also expected to answer questions related to claims of illegally intercepting communications involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
The allegations stem from the report of an ad hoc committee set up by the Kaduna legislature in 2024 to review loans, financial transactions and contracts awarded between 2015 and 2023 under el-Rufai’s administration. Presenting the findings during plenary, committee chairman Henry Zacharia alleged that many of the loans secured during the period were not applied to their intended purposes.
Speaker Yusuf Dahiru Leman, while receiving the report, claimed that about N423bn was siphoned during the eight-year tenure, leaving the state with mounting liabilities.
The committee recommended the investigation and prosecution of the former governor and some of his cabinet members for alleged abuse of office, contract irregularities, diversion of funds, money laundering and excessive borrowing. The House subsequently forwarded petitions to both the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The report also cited additional disputed transactions, including over N155m in questionable payments, an alleged diversion of N1.37bn meant for a light rail project and the purported laundering of N64.8m by senior aides.
El-Rufai has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, insisting the loans were properly approved and utilised for infrastructure, education, healthcare and security improvements. He has described the investigation as politically driven.
However, Monday’s development signals a significant escalation, with the anti-corruption agency moving from preliminary inquiries to direct interrogation and detention.
