EFCC detains El-Rufai

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is currently facing multiple investigations and legal challenges involving anti-graft and security agencies, with fresh developments emerging from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the federal government.

As at the time of filing this report, EFCC sources confirmed that the former governor remains with the commission in Abuja.

His media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that El-Rufai honoured the commission’s invitation and has been cooperating with investigators.

In the post, Adekeye wrote:

“UPDATE: Malam Nasir @elrufai today honored the invitation extended to him by the EFCC. He had a frank and fruitful interaction with the EFCC officials, whom his counsel noted were entirely professional in their approach and conduct. He remains with the EFCC.”

EFCC detains El-Rufai

Aside the EFCC, the federal government, through the DSS, yesterday filed a three-count charge against the former governor.

Sources at the EFCC hinted that the former governor was invited over allegations of fraud and terrorism financing.

“There are two investigations currently ongoing in the agency. One is alleged terrorism financing. The other one bothers on alleged financial impropriety in Kaduna State when he was the governor,” the source said.

Earlier yesterday when El-Rufai arrived at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, some groups of protesters stormed the headquarters of the anti-graft agency located in Jabi Area of Abuja, ahead of El-Rufai’s arrival.

While some of the protesters demonstrated in favour of the former governor, others asked the anti-graft agency to grill him.

However, there was a mild scuffle when some of the persons who accompanied El-Rufai were prevented from entering the commission’s office.

Kaduna Assembly indictment

It would be recalled that El-Rufai’s ordeal began shortly after his falling out with his successor, Governor Uba Sani and he became critical of the APC and the Tinubu-led government.

In 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly indicted him and several aides who served under his administration between 2015 and 2023 over the alleged siphoning of more than N4 billion in state resources.

The ad hoc committee that investigated the matter, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Henry Magaji Danjuma, presented its report during plenary, alleging that most loans obtained under El-Rufai’s administration were not used for their intended purposes.

The committee further alleged that due process was not followed in securing both domestic and foreign loans in some instances.

Receiving the report, the Speaker of the House, Yusuf Liman, said over N4 billion was siphoned during the administration, leaving the state with significant liabilities.

The House recommended that Governor Uba Sani refer El-Rufai, former Commissioners of Finance, heads of agencies and former Accountant Generals to security and anti-corruption agencies for investigation and possible prosecution for alleged abuse of office, contract irregularities, diversion of public funds and money laundering.

DSS reopens Dadiyata case

Operatives of the DSS yesterday also confirmed the seizure of the passport of the former governor in order to reopen a probe into the 2019 disappearance of a renowned government critic, Abubakar Idris, better known as Dadiyata.

Dandiyata was abducted from his Kaduna home in 2019 by yet-to-be-identified gunmen following his criticisms against El-Rufai’s administration in the state.

Dadiyata, a lecturer at the Department of English and Linguistics at the Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina State, was on August 1, 2019 declared missing by his wife.

Speaking on ARISE Television on Friday, El-Rufai, who was a governor between 2015 and 2023, had said he was privy to a confession allegedly made by a certain remorseful policeman that he was part of a team sent from Kano to abduct Dadiyata.

“Three years after he was abducted, a policeman who was posted from Kano to Ekiti State confessed to someone that they were sent from Kano to abduct Dadiyata and that the officer was worried about that. That is all I know,” El-Rufai had stated.

Reminded by the television anchor that Dadiyata was believed to be his critic, El-Rufai said he was not “aware of the existence” of the missing Dadiyata.

“If anything, the missing lecturer was known to be a follower of the Kwankwasiyya movement, and, therefore, a political opponent of the then Kano State governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.

“It was Ganduje that was his (Dadiyata’s) problem. I didn’t even know him…If anybody is to be asked about the disappearance of Dadiyata, it is the Kano State government; it has nothing to do with the Kaduna State government. We didn’t even know he existed,”

A DSS official explained yesterday that El-Rufai’s passport was seized to stop him from fleeing to Egypt.

The source said the former governor’s sons were also being probed for Dadiyata’s disappearance, adding that the reopened investigations would be very broad this time.

“El-Rufai is fully aware that the DSS is investigating him for Dadiyata’s kidnap. So, he planned to visit the EFCC on Monday, and then, visit the ICPC on Tuesday.

“Thereafter, he will fly back to Cairo. Seizing his passport has shattered his plans. His sons were also probed then. The fresh investigations will be very broad,” the official, who did not want his name in print, stated.

The official said the reopening of Dadiyata’s kidnap case followed months of intense investigations.

“We are talking of Dadiyata who was kidnapped in Kaduna in 2019. Assuming without conceding that such alleged confession was brought to El-Rufai’s knowledge ‘three years later’, as he claimed, in 2023, when he either was still governor or had just left office.

“Don’t forget that Dadiyata’s kidnap drew tremendous international attention, with international human rights organisations like Amnesty International raising dust over the matter.

“Discreet investigations revealed that El-Rufai had been using ex-Governor Ganduje and the phantom police officer as alibi. It was good he repeated the same on live television.

“It would be interesting to know what a man who had been a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and governor of the state where the crime was known to have been committed did with such key information.

“Even if he left office, another question is if he passed the information to his successor to any law enforcement agency?

“He is aware of the security implications of seizing his passport. He knows he cannot officially leave the country, which is very bad for him. Several laws place a responsibility on citizens to assist with crime reporting and prevention.

“Section 123 of the Criminal Code Act prohibits the willful destruction or concealment of evidence, while the Criminal Code Act and the Penal Code, applicable to Kaduna State, deals with covering up treason, destroying evidence, or aiding suspects,” the official said.

Phone tapping

It was also gathered that the former Kaduna State governor was being probed for wiretapping the telephone of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the development many described as jeopardizing national security.

While the probe is ongoing, the federal government filed a three-count charge against him, arguing that wire-tapping and compromise of public safety borders on national security.

In the three-count charge, the government stated that El-Rufai, on February 13, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV Station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, admitted during the interview that he and his cohorts unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 12 (1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024.

In count two, El-Rufai was accused of stating on Arise TV Station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja “during the interview that you know and relate with certain individual, who unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, without reporting the said individual to relevant security agencies and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 27(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024.”

In count three, the government alleged that El Rufai and others at large did use technical equipment or systems which compromised public safety, national security and instilling reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians by unlawfully intercepting the phone communications of the NSA Ribadu, “to which you admitted during an interview on 13th February, 2026, on Arise TV Station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 131 (2) Nigerian Communications Act 2003.”

Phone tapping is dangerous – Expert

Speaking to Daily Trust on the issue, Japheth Johnson, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Describe Innovations Limited, viewed phone tapping as “a big challenge because this is just like a situation of the watchman being watched. That’s what we are seeing here.

“People that are supposed to be the ones securing the country or securing communications or private communications are the ones being watched now.

On the possibility of occurrence, he affirmed that “Yes, it can be done via commercial spyware that can be used to actually listen to people’s conversations. We are seeing Pegasus and others.

“This can actually compromise smartphone devices, and you can tap to the microphone to hear whatever discussion is happening. Then, it can also come from telecommunication interception.

“Also, it can be done through gaining access to the service provider. So, we can’t really say which method to use. And there may also be an insider leak, maybe possibly someone tried to record the conversation and sent it to him.

“Those are all possible ways that conversations can actually be tapped. So, from either compromising the device, even before it reaches NSA or the service provider, or there’s spyware someone has installed on those devices,” Johnson explained.

On the implications on national security, he said “The truth of the matter is, looking at the implication of this stuff now, or let’s say national security, we can say that we have compromised intelligence.

“It means a private individual can actually listen to what’s happening in one of the highest official country’s security in Nigeria.

“And it can lead to a lot of things like compromise in counterterrorism. It can also affect the plans of the military, the police, or whatever operations that are being planned. And that means for this information to be leaked, that means people can actually take advantage of Nigeria’s security architecture.

“And within the state, we can have a lot of challenges because there will be no trust. In the same vein, Political allies can actually use this information against each other,” he said.

He, however, stated that the situation signals a move towards a total surveillance where the Cyber Crimes Act is being used selectively.

“The truth of the matter is that this is a case that is going to show if this act is going to really be implemented on a selected few or everyone is being covered, right?

“So, we’re going to actually see that. Even though we have seen the government has actually filed a case against El-Rufai concerning this issue, I think we want to see how the prosecution will go”, he said.

Protesters demand update on El-Rufai probe

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State House of Assembly on Monday reaffirmed its resolve to uphold transparency and accountability as some citizens staged a peaceful protest over the ongoing probe of the El-Rufai administration.

The protesters, led by Ambassador Yerima Shettima of the Northern Stakeholders Consultative Initiative and Aliyu Muhammad of the Coalition of Kaduna Stakeholders Forum, submitted a formal letter to Speaker Yusuf Dahiru Liman, seeking an update on the investigation.

Speaker Liman assured the protesters that the House had taken concrete steps.

He disclosed that a committee set up in June 2024 to investigate alleged misappropriation of N432 billion had completed its assignment and submitted its findings to the appropriate authorities.

According to him, the assembly would not be distracted from its constitutional mandate.

“There are those who may not fully understand the role of the legislature, but we stand by our documented findings. Anybody found wanting will face the full wrath of the law,” he said.

The speaker noted that peaceful protest remains a constitutional right and reiterated that no individual is above the law.

In his remarks, Shettima described the action as a civic engagement aimed at strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring that due process runs its full course.

“This matter concerns the future of Kaduna State and the integrity of our democratic system. Citizens have the right to demand transparency and accountability,” he said.

The coalition urged the Assembly to provide clear information on the status of the probe and to consider creating an open platform for affected citizens to present their concerns.

By Idowu Isamotu, John Azu, Philip Clement (Abuja) & Mohammed Yaba (Kaduna)

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