Abuja, February 19, 2026 — Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai was released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, only to be immediately taken into custody by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), sources have confirmed.
Officials at the EFCC told The PUNCH on Wednesday night that El-Rufai was freed after spending nearly 48 hours in custody, but was subsequently picked up by the ICPC for further questioning. The former governor had reported to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja around 10 a.m. on Monday and remained there until his release on Wednesday.
“We released him today, but he was shortly picked up by the ICPC,” an EFCC source said.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the ICPC were unsuccessful, as calls to its spokesperson, John Odey, were not answered. El-Rufai’s lawyer, A.U. Mustapha (SAN), declined to comment when contacted, saying it was too late to speak. His media aide, Muyiwa Adeleye, was also unreachable.
Meanwhile, the Department of State Services (DSS) is reportedly on standby for El-Rufai’s arraignment following fresh criminal charges filed against him by the Federal Government. On Monday, prosecutors filed charges before the Federal High Court Abuja, alleging unlawful interception of the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The three-count charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, was filed under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003. Prosecutors alleged that El-Rufai admitted during a televised interview that he listened to intercepted phone conversations involving the NSA.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged admission was made on February 13, 2026, during an appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme in Abuja. The government further alleged that El-Rufai knowingly associated with individuals who carried out the unlawful interception and failed to report them to authorities.
Separately, security sources said the DSS has reopened investigations into the disappearance of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, a lecturer who went missing in Kaduna in 2019. As part of the renewed probe, El-Rufai’s passport was reportedly seized at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to prevent foreign travel, while investigators are also reviewing social media posts made by his sons following the incident.
As of press time, neither the ICPC nor the DSS had issued an official statement on the latest developments.
