El-Rufai’s trial: Gunmen invade principal witness home

The home of a principal witness in the ongoing corruption case against former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has been invaded by armed men suspected to be impersonators of police officers.

The victim, Mohammed Umar Karage, said the incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at his residence located at Barnawa GRA in Kaduna South Local Government Area.

Karage, who is a key prosecution witness in the case instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), formally reported the incident to the Kaduna State Police Command, demanding a thorough investigation.

In a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Karage alleged that the attackers, numbering five, stormed his residence at about 8:28am, forcefully gaining access after overpowering his security guard.

According to him, the gunmen, comprising four men and a woman, arrived in a white 18-seater Hiace bus with tinted windows and no visible registration number, raising suspicion about their identity and mission.

He further disclosed that one of the assailants was dressed in a police uniform and carried an AK-47 rifle, while the group claimed to be police officers on a mission to apprehend him.

The attackers reportedly ransacked the building, moving straight to his bedroom and making inquiries about his whereabouts as well as the schools attended by his children.

Karage said the gunmen left the premises after discovering he was not at home, but allegedly vowed to return, heightening fears over his safety and that of his family.

Speaking further with our correspondent, Karage revealed that he had contacted the police command, which denied deploying any personnel to his residence on the day of the incident.

The development has deepened suspicion that the attackers may have been impersonators, raising concerns over a possible targeted attempt to intimidate or harm the witness.

Karage linked the incident to his role in the corruption charges against El-Rufai, particularly one of the nine counts bordering on unlawful revocation and reallocation of land allegedly belonging to him.

He alleged that the invasion might be part of a plot to silence him, drawing parallels with the case of Abubakar Idris Dadiyata, a Kaduna-based activist who was declared missing under controversial circumstances.

“They said they were police officers and that they came to get me. When they couldn’t find me, they said they would come back and that they must get me,” Karage recounted.