The family of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai has declared that his continued custody by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is illegal, insisting authorities lack a valid legal instrument authorising further detention.
Relatives of the former governor argued that the remand approval earlier obtained by the anti-corruption agency had already expired, maintaining that investigators neither filed charges in court nor secured an additional order to justify keeping him in custody.
In a statement issued by his son, Mohammed El-Rufai, the family said the legal authority used to justify the detention had lapsed and therefore no longer supported the continued restriction of his liberty.
The statement, posted on Facebook on Friday, said the 14-day remand secured from a magistrate’s court on February 19 had run its course without prosecutors filing charges before a competent court.
“As of today, March 6, 2026, Nasir El-Rufai remains in ICPC custody under circumstances that have no basis in law. We state categorically that there is currently no valid legal instrument authorizing his detention,” the family said.
El-Rufai has spent 18 days in federal custody after voluntarily reporting to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on February 16, 2026, before later being transferred the same night to the ICPC, where he has remained.
The anti-corruption commission is examining several allegations involving the former governor, including questions over €1.4 million, payments exceeding N2.1 billion, and transfers of more than N428 million into undisclosed accounts.
However, the family insisted investigators failed to honour an earlier undertaking to file charges before the March 5 deadline when the detention approval was expected to expire.
“The ICPC has not charged him with any offence in a competent court. Neither have they secured a fresh or extended lawful order to continue detaining him,” the statement said.
They also accused the agency of misusing its authority for political motives, alleging the continued detention amounted to “unlawful, brazen self-help,” while adding that the situation confirmed fears that the commission was being used for “political persecution rather than operating as an impartial institution of justice.”
