Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have searched the Abuja residence of Nasir el-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, as investigations into alleged financial misconduct intensify.
Muyiwa Adekeye, el-Rufai’s media aide, confirmed the development on Thursday, stating that ICPC officials carried out the search at the former governor’s home on Aso Drive. His lawyer, Ubong Akpan, condemned the action, describing it as unlawful and a breach of established legal procedures and fundamental rights.
The search follows el-Rufai’s detention by the ICPC on Wednesday night in connection with ongoing investigations. Before that, he had reportedly spent two nights in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and was later held by the Department of State Services (DSS).
El-Rufai had presented himself at the EFCC headquarters on Monday after being invited for questioning over alleged financial improprieties during his tenure as governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023.
The probe is linked to findings by the Kaduna State House of Assembly, which in 2024 accused him of diverting N423 billion in public funds and engaging in money laundering. The assembly recommended that anti-graft agencies investigate the allegations.
Security operatives had earlier attempted to arrest el-Rufai at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after he arrived from Cairo. He later alleged that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, instructed the ICPC to direct the DSS to arrest him.
In a television interview, el-Rufai claimed he had listened to a telephone conversation in which the National Security Adviser ordered his arrest, alleging the communication had been intercepted.
The DSS subsequently filed a three-count charge against him, accusing him of unlawfully intercepting a telephone conversation involving the National Security Adviser.
