Arraign El-Rufai or set him free, MURIC tells ICPC

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condemned the continous detention of former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.

El-Rufai, who honoured the invitation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on February 16, 2025, has been in custody since then.

The anti-graft agency had granted him bail exactly a week ago, but he was immediately arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

Two days ago, Muyiwa Adekeye, his media aide, had accused the ICPC of failing to grant El-Rufai bail.

According to Adekeye, the former governor who suffered nosebleeding in detention, was denied direct access to his wife who brought him food in detention.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Department of State Services (DSS) which filed criminal charges against him over allegations of tapping the telephone of the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, failed to arraign El-Rufai in court.

The secret police had said the ICPC was still drilling the former governor, forcing the judge to adjourn the matter till April 23.

But speaking at a briefing, ‎Professor Ishaq Akintola, ‎Founder/Executive Director, MURIC demanded El-Rufai’s immediate release or arraignment in court.

‎‎”Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has been in detention since his voluntary report at the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abuja on Monday, 16th February, 2026. Although EFCC released him on Wednesday, 18th February, he was picked up by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) same day.” ‎ ‎”Reports coming from the media indicate that his absence in court today, Wednesday, 25th February, 2026 is accountable for the inability to arraign him today. ‎ ‎”There appears to be a deliberate attempt to keep El-Rufai in detention ad infinitum. A man who is in detention cannot be blamed for ‘absence in court’ because he does not control his movement. ‎ “MURIC demands the immediate arraignment of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai in a court of competent jurisdiction. The law prescribes 48 hours only as the maximum period an accused can be held in detention and within which he must be produced in court.

“Global best practices attest to the fact that a man is believed to be innocent until otherwise proven guilty. Interestingly, the law does not arrogate the power to declare citizens guilty to the security agencies. That power belongs incontestibly to the law courts. We therefore call for the release of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai or his arraignment in court. ‎ ‎”We also call on the Federal Government to abide by democratic norms whose principles include respect for the rule of law, freedom of movement and free speech, all of which are enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution (Sections 41 & 39 respectively). ‎ ‎”Nigeria cannot afford to put unpleasant political optics on ground at a time when the world is focusing on it. Former Sokoto governor, Waziri Tambuwal, former Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN and now El-Rufai, all members of the opposition. We hope we are communicating. It is time to arraign El-Rufai or set him free.”

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