Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is expected to spend a second night in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), with no confirmed report of his release as of Thursday evening.
The anti-graft agency had earlier confirmed his detention in a statement signed by its Head of Media and Public Communications, Mr. Okor Odey.
“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,” Odey said.
However, sources familiar with the process said investigators were still engaging the former governor.
“They are carrying out standard investigative procedures, including questioning him, taking his statement under caution and reviewing financial and project documents linked to his administration,” a source said.
El-Rufai’s continued stay in ICPC custody follows developments earlier in the week after he honoured an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged financial improprieties linked to his tenure between 2015 and 2023.
He spent two nights at the EFCC’s Abuja headquarters undergoing questioning over transactions and projects executed during his administration, part of a broader scrutiny of Kaduna State’s finances during his eight-year tenure.
The EFCC granted El-Rufai administrative bail on Wednesday evening after the initial round of questioning. Moments later, armed operatives stationed outside the commission’s premises took him into fresh custody in connection with a separate probe.
The ICPC subsequently issued formal confirmation that the former governor was in its custody.
The development highlights the overlapping yet distinct mandates of Nigeria’s anti-graft and security agencies, in which multiple bodies may pursue different investigative angles involving the same high-profile figure.
The matter has also drawn in the Department of State Services (DSS) following El-Rufai’s recent television comments alleging unlawful phone interception involving the National Security Adviser. The claim has already triggered separate cybercrime charges filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Inside the ICPC facility in Abuja, investigators were said to be reviewing documentary evidence and confronting the former governor with financial records, contract files and other materials relevant to their inquiry, a process that typically requires the suspect’s physical presence to clarify entries and formally record statements under caution.
As of press time, multiple calls and messages sent to ICPC spokesman Mr Odey seeking updated official comments on El-Rufai’s status had not been returned.
