A major development unfolded this week involving Malam Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, as Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies intensified scrutiny of his conduct in public office. El-Rufai was taken into custody by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) shortly after being released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) where he had been held for over two days.

El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023, initially responded to an EFCC invitation on Monday and spent much of the early week in its Abuja headquarters for questioning tied to an ongoing investigation. Details of the probe point to allegations of financial irregularities dating to his tenure as governor, including possible misappropriation of public funds.

Upon his release by the EFCC on Wednesday evening, operatives from the ICPC moved quickly to place El-Rufai in their custody. A statement from the ICPC’s spokesman, John Odey, confirmed that El-Rufai was formally detained by the commission “in connection with investigations” on Wednesday evening.

The sequence of events reflects overlapping and intensifying inquiries by multiple agencies. In addition to financial corruption concerns, the Department of State Services (DSS) has filed charges in the Federal High Court against El-Rufai relating to alleged unlawful interception of the phone communications of Nigeria’s National Security Adviser.

Last week, security operatives attempted to arrest El-Rufai at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after he returned from abroad, leading to confrontations and the temporary confiscation of his passport — a move he publicly described as politically motivated.

El-Rufai’s legal team has criticised parts of the proceedings as infringements on his constitutional rights, particularly regarding the timing and manner of enforcement actions. Meanwhile, law enforcement sources indicate that the investigations are probing alleged misconduct linked to hundreds of billions of naira in public funds.

As of the latest update, El-Rufai remains in ICPC custody while authorities pursue further questioning and potential charges. No final indictment has yet been made public.