DSS Takes El-Rufai into Custody After Two Nights at EFCC Headquarters

DSS Takes El-Rufai into Custody After Two Nights at EFCC Headquarters

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have taken former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai into custody following his extended stay at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja.

Multiple security and government sources confirmed that El-Rufai was picked up by DSS operatives late Wednesday night directly from the EFCC facility, where he had reportedly spent two nights undergoing interrogation.

Sources familiar with the EFCC investigation said the former governor was repeatedly requested to provide a written statement concerning allegations of financial impropriety during his tenure as governor of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023. However, he was said to have declined to submit a written response, insisting instead on verbal engagement with investigators.

El-Rufai had honoured an EFCC invitation on Monday in connection with allegations bordering on the diversion of ₦423 billion and money laundering, claims initially raised by the Kaduna State House of Assembly in 2024. The lawmakers had, at the time, recommended a comprehensive probe by anti-corruption agencies following a report by a special investigative committee.

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In addition to the EFCC investigation, El-Rufai has also been invited by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over related allegations stemming from the same period.

Security sources further disclosed that last week, operatives attempted to arrest the former governor at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport shortly after his return from Cairo, but the attempt was unsuccessful.

Following that incident, El-Rufai publicly alleged that the ICPC was acting on the instruction of Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, to effect his arrest. He later expanded the claim during an appearance on Prime Time on Arise Television, alleging that Ribadu’s telephone had been wiretapped and that he overheard directives ordering his arrest.

On Monday, the DSS filed a three-count charge against El-Rufai relating to the alleged interception of the National Security Adviser’s telephone conversations, a development that further complicated his legal situation.

However, senior security officials have insisted that the DSS action is separate from the EFCC investigation, describing it as an “independent and escalating security matter” unrelated to the financial probe. They maintained that the DSS involvement stems from national security concerns rather than alleged financial crimes.

The unfolding developments have significantly deepened the legal and political challenges confronting the former governor, who is now facing investigations by multiple federal agencies, even as no formal conviction or court judgment has been recorded against him.

Further official statements are expected as investigations progress.

DSS Takes El-Rufai into Custody After Two Nights at EFCC Headquarters