El-Rufai Held for Second Night as EFCC Deepens Corruption Probe
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai remains in EFCC custody as investigators examine alleged fraud spanning his eight-year tenure, with political observers calling for judicial scrutiny beyond political theatre.
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Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State whose administrative style defined Nigerian politics for nearly a decade, spent a second consecutive night in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday, as investigators pressed him on corruption allegations dating to his 2015-2023 tenure.
The detention marks a dramatic turn for one of Nigeria's most polarising political figures. El-Rufai, who presented himself for questioning at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Monday, has been held without release as anti-graft agency interrogators examine what sources describe as alleged fraud committed during his governorship. According to Peoples Gazette, investigators are scrutinising financial irregularities across the eight-year period when El-Rufai controlled Kaduna State's substantial budget and implemented controversial reforms that reshaped the state's economic landscape.
The circumstances surrounding El-Rufai's extended detention remain opaque, with the EFCC declining to provide details on specific charges or the scope of the investigation. What is clear is that the agency considers the matter serious enough to warrant holding a former governor and prominent member of the ruling All Progressives Congress beyond the initial questioning period. Vanguard News confirmed that El-Rufai remained in EFCC custody through Tuesday evening, suggesting interrogators require additional time to examine documents or testimony related to the allegations.
The detention has reignited debates about El-Rufai's legacy in Kaduna State, where his administration pursued aggressive privatisation programmes, mass retrenchments of civil servants, and infrastructure projects that supporters praised as transformative and critics condemned as reckless. His tenure saw significant borrowing to fund capital projects, raising questions about procurement processes and contract awards that may now form the basis of the EFCC's investigation.
Political observers have begun weighing in on the implications of the case. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a prominent northern political figure, offered a characteristically blunt assessment of El-Rufai's predicament. "El-Rufai is a very difficult person to advise," Baba-Ahmed stated, according to Vanguard News. He added that "the various allegations and counter-allegations surrounding the former governor should not be dismissed as political drama but tested in court." The comment suggests a belief among political insiders that El-Rufai's combative style and resistance to counsel may have contributed to his current difficulties.
Baba-Ahmed's call for judicial scrutiny reflects broader concerns that corruption investigations in Nigeria often devolve into political theatre, with cases languishing in courts for years or being quietly dropped when political winds shift. The EFCC, despite periodic high-profile arrests, has struggled to secure convictions of senior political figures, undermining public confidence in anti-corruption efforts.
El-Rufai's case carries particular weight because of his national profile and his role as a key architect of the Buhari administration's early reform agenda before falling out of favour in the final years of that government. His failure to secure a ministerial appointment under President Bola Tinubu, despite his instrumental role in Tinubu's election campaign, signalled a political decline that has now been compounded by criminal investigation.
The former governor built his reputation on a persona of technocratic efficiency and willingness to confront entrenched interests, positioning himself as a reformer unafraid of controversy. That image now faces its severest test as he confronts allegations that could redefine his legacy from bold administrator to corrupt official who enriched himself while preaching accountability.
Legal experts note that extended detention during investigation, while not uncommon in Nigerian anti-corruption cases, raises questions about due process and the strength of the evidence against El-Rufai. The EFCC typically holds suspects when it believes they pose a flight risk or when ongoing interrogation is producing actionable intelligence. Whether the agency will file formal charges or release El-Rufai depends on what investigators uncover in the coming days.
For Kaduna State residents who lived through El-Rufai's transformative and turbulent governorship, the detention offers a moment of reckoning. His administration demolished thousands of structures it deemed illegal, reformed the state's education system by sacking teachers who failed competency tests, and borrowed billions of naira for infrastructure projects. Each initiative generated fierce debate about whether El-Rufai was a visionary willing to make hard choices or an autocrat indifferent to the human cost of his policies.
The coming days will determine whether the EFCC's investigation produces formal charges or whether El-Rufai walks free to fight another political battle. What is already certain is that his extended detention has shifted the narrative around his legacy, transforming him from untouchable political operator to vulnerable suspect facing the machinery of the state he once helped direct.
As Nigeria's anti-corruption agencies continue their work under the Tinubu administration, the El-Rufai case will serve as a test of whether the country can move beyond selective prosecution and establish genuine accountability for public officials. The outcome may determine not just one man's fate, but the credibility of Nigeria's entire anti-corruption architecture.