DSS Arrests El-Rufai After Two Nights Of EFCC Questioning Over Security Matter
Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, has been taken into custody by the Department of State Services (DSS) following two nights of questioning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), sources have told TheCable.
El-Rufai was reportedly picked up from the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday night. During his time at the anti-graft agency, investigators attempted several times to secure a written statement from him, but he declined to provide one.
The former governor had presented himself at the EFCC on Monday in response to an invitation over alleged financial irregularities during his tenure from 2015 to 2023. In 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly accused him of diverting N423 billion in public funds and money laundering, urging anti-corruption agencies to investigate. He has also received invitations from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Last Thursday, security operatives reportedly attempted to arrest el-Rufai at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, when he returned from Cairo, Egypt. El-Rufai later claimed that the ICPC, acting on instructions from National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, directed DSS officials to detain him upon arrival. He also alleged that Ribadu’s phone had been wiretapped, allowing him to hear instructions for his arrest.
On Monday, the DSS filed a three-count charge against el-Rufai for allegedly intercepting the NSA’s phone conversation. However, a senior security source told TheCable that the DSS action is unrelated to the EFCC probe and is linked to a separate security issue.
“He has a case to answer regarding an escalating security matter. This is not related to the EFCC investigation. It is a separate matter entirely,” the source said.
