ICPC Raids El-Rufai’s Abuja Residence Amid N423bn Probe
Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have raided the Abuja residence of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, in a fresh twist to the ongoing investigation into alleged financial misconduct.
The search, which took place at his Aso Drive home, was confirmed on Thursday by his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye. Reacting to the development, his lawyer, Ubong Akpan, criticised the operation, arguing that it flouted established legal procedures and breached his client’s fundamental rights.
The action comes shortly after el-Rufai was taken into custody by the ICPC on Wednesday night. Before his transfer to the commission, he had reportedly spent two nights in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and was subsequently held by the Department of State Services (DSS).
El-Rufai had voluntarily honoured an EFCC invitation on Monday, appearing at its Abuja headquarters over allegations of financial mismanagement during his tenure as Kaduna State governor from 2015 to 2023.
The allegations are tied to a 2024 report by the Kaduna State House of Assembly, which accused him of diverting N423 billion in public funds and engaging in money laundering. The assembly had recommended a full-scale investigation by anti-graft agencies.
Security operatives had earlier attempted to apprehend him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja following his arrival from Cairo.
El-Rufai later alleged that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, instructed the ICPC to involve the DSS in his arrest. In a televised interview, he claimed to have listened to a telephone conversation in which the National Security Adviser allegedly ordered his arrest, maintaining that the communication was intercepted.
The DSS has since filed a three-count charge against the former governor, accusing him of unlawfully intercepting a telephone conversation involving the National Security Adviser.
