Breaking News: El-Rufai Released from ICPC Custody Amid Investigation

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has been granted temporary bail from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

This was confirmed in a statement on Friday via 𝕏 by his son, Bashir El-Rufai.

He wrote: “My beloved great legend of a father (@elrufai) is being released from his unlawful and illegal detention at the hands of one of the most corrupt agencies in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that is a lame excuse of a pathetic institution. Thank you all for all the support. Our family shall never forget these times. We have overcome, as the El-Rufais.”

Naija News understands that the former Governor was released to enable him to attend the funeral rites of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, who died in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday.

While the ICPC is yet to issue an official statement on the development as at the time of filing this report, according to Channels TV, an aide to the former governor confirmed that the release was approved on compassionate grounds following the family’s bereavement.

Naija News reports that the ICPC is probing El-Rufai over alleged financial misappropriations during his tenure as governor of Kaduna state between 2015 and 2023.

He has been in the custody of the ICPC since February 18, 2026.

Shortly before he was taken into ICPC custody, El-Rufai was also grilled by the Department of State Services (DSS) over his allegation that the phone of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was tapped.

Meanwhile, the former Governor was denied bail on Tuesday as the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna State, adjourned proceedings to March 31st, 2026.

El-Rufai, who appeared in court on Tuesday, was arraigned by the ICPC over alleged money laundering.

During the hearing, which legal arguments were presented by both the prosecution and the defense, counsel to the defendant, Ukpon Akpan, urged the court to grant his client bail.