El-Rufai Regains Freedom, Returns to Kaduna for Mother’s Burial

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has reportedly regained his freedom after being held in custody, following the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai.
The development was made public by his son, Bashir El-Rufai, who disclosed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that his father had returned home to join the family in preparations for the burial of his late mother.
Bashir strongly condemned the detention, describing it as unlawful and directing harsh criticism at the security authorities involved.
According to available information, El-Rufai had reportedly honoured an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 16, 2026, after which he was allegedly taken into custody by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), where he remained for several weeks without any official explanation regarding the basis of his detention.
His detention had since sparked widespread political reactions, especially in light of his recent disagreements with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Supporters of the former governor had also accused Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, of being behind the move.
As of the time of filing this report, the State Security Service (SSS) had not released any official statement clarifying the circumstances surrounding El-Rufai’s detention or the terms of his release.
Family sources, however, confirmed that the former governor is currently in Kaduna with relatives, where arrangements are ongoing for the burial of his late mother.