Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai is being held by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission in Abuja, where he has remained since Wednesday night following his transfer from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
CLICK THE LINK TO READ FULL LIST
- Advertisement -
Sponsored Ads
The detention comes amid complaints from his legal team over a search carried out at his residence in the Federal Capital Territory.
- Advertisement -
El-Rufai was first detained earlier in the week by the EFCC and was released late Wednesday. Shortly after regaining his freedom, he was taken into custody by the ICPC, where he spent Thursday night, marking his second night with the anti-graft agency.
An official of the commission confirmed that the former governor was still in its custody as of Thursday night but did not disclose the reason for the investigation.
Before his arrest, El-Rufai had informed the ICPC through his lawyers that he was ready to respond to an invitation from the commission on Tuesday.
Related News
This development followed an earlier incident at the airport where operatives of the Department of State Services reportedly seized his passport.
The ICPC had earlier acknowledged taking him into custody but did not provide details about the case. There are claims circulating that the investigation may be connected to the N11.1bn Kaduna light rail joint venture project, which did not materialise, though there has been no official confirmation linking the probe to the project.
Attempts to reach the commission’s spokesperson for clarification were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, El-Rufai’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, disclosed on social media that officers of the ICPC searched the former governor’s home located on Aso Drive in Abuja.
According to him, El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, described the search as unlawful and a breach of due process and fundamental rights.
As of the time of filing this report, the ICPC has not released further information about the nature of the allegations or the next steps in the investigation.
Comments are closed.