By Amofokhai Williams
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has confirmed that former Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai is in its custody as of the close of work on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
In a brief press release issued by the Commission’s Head of Media and Public Communications, J. Okor Odey, the ICPC stated: “Malam Nasiru El-Rufai is in the custody of the Commission in connection with investigations.”
The development comes amid a flurry of anti-corruption probes targeting the former governor’s administration.
El-Rufai had been summoned by the ICPC for questioning, following earlier invitations linked to allegations involving financial misconduct during his tenure as governor from 2015 to 2023.
Reports indicate that El-Rufai had voluntarily planned to honour the ICPC’s invitation on this date, after previous complications including an alleged attempted arrest at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport earlier in February.
He had publicly denied wrongdoing, attributing some actions against him to political motivations involving figures such as National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
The ICPC custody follows El-Rufai’s recent detention by other agencies. He spent Monday and Tuesday nights in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where he was questioned over separate allegations of financial impropriety, reportedly involving sums up to ₦432 billion linked to his time in office.
Sources indicate that after his time with the EFCC, operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) took him into custody on Wednesday night, though the ICPC’s statement now places him directly in their hands for related inquiries.
Specific details of the ICPC’s current investigation remain undisclosed in the release, but previous probes by the agency have focused on issues such as the failed Kaduna light rail project and alleged diversion of funds in contracts awarded during El-Rufai’s administration.
The former governor has consistently rejected these claims as politically driven persecution.
El-Rufai, a prominent political figure who previously served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and backed President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 election bid, has faced multiple summons from anti-graft bodies in recent months.
Associates from his administration have also been arraigned in related cases.
