February 24, 2026 | News
Fresh allegations have emerged regarding the detention conditions of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, as his legal team raises concerns over his health, access to family, and due process.
In a statement on Monday, El-Rufai’s media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, revealed that the former governor has been in custody for eight days, following a voluntary invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 16, 2026. Adekeye claimed that although El-Rufai was interrogated and technically granted administrative bail, he continues to be held while his lawyers seek a variation of the bail conditions—what the aide described as “unjustifiable.”
According to the statement, tensions escalated on February 17 when one of El-Rufai’s wives attempted to deliver food, only to be barred from handing it to him directly. She was reportedly instructed to give the meal to an EFCC official for delivery.
Adekeye further alleged that El-Rufai experienced a nosebleed overnight during detention, intensifying concerns about his welfare and access to adequate medical care. The former governor was subsequently transferred on February 18 from EFCC custody to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) without prior notice to him or his legal team, according to the statement.
El-Rufai’s lawyers have applied for bail before the ICPC but have not received any response. No valid remand order has been presented, raising further questions about the legality of his continued detention.
The former governor is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court on February 25 in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed against the Federal Government, the ICPC, the EFCC, and the DSS. The suit seeks his immediate release on bail.
Earlier reports revealed that El-Rufai filed a ₦1 billion lawsuit challenging what he describes as an unlawful raid on his Abuja residence on February 19. Through his counsel, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, the former governor alleges that the search warrant was defective, officers seized documents and electronics without inventory, and the operation violated constitutional rights including personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy.
The suit seeks nullification of the search, return of seized items, restrictions on the use of obtained materials, ₦1 billion in damages, and legal costs. El-Rufai’s legal team says the raid caused “significant psychological trauma, humiliation, distress, reputational damage, and emotional harm.”
The latest developments have sparked renewed scrutiny of detention procedures and the protection of detainees’ rights in Nigeria.
