Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has been granted temporary bail from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to allow him to attend the funeral of his mother.
The ICPC gave him bail following the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, who reportedly passed away in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday, March 27, after a prolonged illness.
Announcing the development, the aide to the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) confirmed that the anti-graft agency approved his temporary release on compassionate grounds to enable him to participate in the burial rites.
Correspondingly, the former Governor’s son, Bashir El-Rufai, announced the release in a post on his verified X account on Friday night.
He wrote: “My beloved great legend of a father (@elrufai) is being released from his unlawful and illegal detention at the hands of one of the most corrupt agencies in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that is a lame excuse of a pathetic institution.
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“Thank you all for all the support. Our family shall never forget these times. We have overcome, as the El-Rufais,” he wrote.
As of the time of filing this report, the ICPC has not issued an official statement detailing the conditions attached to the temporary release or the next steps in the ongoing investigation.
New Telegraph recalls that El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 18 over allegations relating to financial misconduct and other offences.
On March 24, the ICPC arraigned him alongside co-defendant Joel Adoga before a Federal High Court in Kaduna on charges including alleged conversion and possession of public property as well as money laundering.
The former governor pleaded not guilty to the charge linked to deposits into domiciliary accounts and the handling of earnings.
The court subsequently adjourned ruling on his bail application to March 31, 2026.
In a separate case, the ICPC has also filed charges against El-Rufai and another defendant, Amadu Sule, before a Kaduna State High Court.
Meanwhile, the Department of State Services (DSS) has instituted a three-count charge against the former governor at the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of unlawful interception of telephone communications belonging to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, in violation of the Cybercrimes Act.
His arraignment in that matter has been scheduled for April 23, 2026. El-Rufai has, however, filed counter-suits challenging the actions of the authorities.
In one suit, he is seeking ₦1 billion in damages against the ICPC and other agencies over a February 19 raid on his Abuja residence, which he claims was unlawful.
He is also asking the court to invalidate the search warrant and restrain the use of any evidence obtained during the operation.
In another suit against the DSS, he is demanding ₦2 billion in damages and has asked the court to dismiss the wiretapping allegations, describing them as unconstitutional harassment.
