The Department of State Services (DSS) today has taken Kaduna State’s former Governor Nasir el-Rufai into custody after he spent two nights with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Earlier reports said he was being investigated by the EFCC over a N432 billion fraud perpetrated during his tenure as Kaduna Governor, 2015 to 2023.
Atiku Speaks As Ex-Gov El-Rufai Is Arrested On Birthday Over N432bn Probe, Phone Tapping
He is also facing investigation over a TV interview where he insinuated that he got information of a previous arrest at the Abuja Airport from associates tapping the phone of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
In the latest developments, El-Rufai was reportedly picked up from the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday night by DSS operatives.
At EFCC, the politician reportedly frustrated anti-graft investigators’ several attempts to obtain his written statement.
The DSS is holding the politician on behalf for of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which he was in its custody in connection with an ongoing investigation.
The commission stated that El-Rufai had earlier presented himself to another anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, where he had been undergoing questioning before his current detention by the ICPC.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by the Commission’s Head of Media and Public Communications, Mr. J. Okor Odey, the agency confirmed that El-Rufai remained in its custody as of the close of work on February 18, 2026.
