Alleged N432bn fraud: EFCC detains El-Rufai, DSS on standby

Elrufai

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was detained at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Abuja on Monday night after hours of interrogation over an alleged N432 billion corruption probe.

El-Rufai, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, is also expected to face criminal prosecution over the alleged bugging of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu’s phone.

Multiple sources within the anti-graft agency confirmed to The PUNCH that the former governor, who arrived at the commission’s Jabi headquarters around 10am in response to an invitation, was grilled over allegations arising from the 2024 report of the Kaduna State House of Assembly which accused his administration of misappropriating loans, violating due process in contract awards and plunging the state into heavy debt.

“The commission has been investigating him for about a year now. As a commission, we don’t just rush to invite suspects. Persons accused are always the last; that is after we might have done our investigation to an advanced stage.

“We are investigating him on the allegations against him by the Kaduna State Assembly,” a senior EFCC source told one of our correspondents.

Asked late Monday night whether El-Rufai would regain his freedom, the source responded bluntly, “He is still in our custody and wouldn’t be released today (Monday).”

The EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, confirmed that the former governor honoured the commission’s invitation but declined further comments on the nature of the interrogation or the next line of action.

The detention marks a dramatic escalation in the legal troubles confronting the outspoken former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, whose recent public criticism of the Federal Government and security agencies has triggered fresh political tensions.