Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, may remain at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja as investigators continue questioning him over alleged financial misconduct involving about N432 billion.
The development comes as the Federal Government has filed a three-count charge against the former governor, accusing him of unlawfully intercepting the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
A source within the EFCC confirmed that El-Rufai is currently being interrogated but said it is still uncertain how long the session will last.
“He is with our investigators, but it is still too early to determine how long he will stay,” the source said.
El-Rufai is being investigated over loans obtained during his tenure as Kaduna State governor between 2015 and 2023. An ad-hoc committee of the Kaduna State House of Assembly had alleged that the loans were either mismanaged or secured without proper due process. The former governor has denied the allegations, describing them as politically motivated.
Reacting to the unfolding events, opposition figure and former presidential spokesman Umar Sani described El-Rufai’s actions as calculated and strategic.
According to him, the former governor is deliberately drawing the government into confrontation in order to expose what he called weaknesses within the administration. He argued that El-Rufai has increasingly positioned himself as a leading opposition voice.
Meanwhile, a team of prosecutors from the Department of State Services (DSS) has filed charges against El-Rufai at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.
The government alleges that during a February 13 appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme, El-Rufai admitted aligning with individuals who unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the National Security Adviser. The charges cite violations under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.
Prosecutors also contend that the former governor failed to report the alleged unlawful interception to security agencies, thereby committing an additional offence under the same law.
In another count, the government accused him of acting in collaboration with others still at large to use technical equipment in a way that compromised national security and public safety. This charge references provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
No date has yet been fixed for his arraignment.
The charges follow an earlier incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, where El-Rufai claimed operatives of the DSS attempted to detain him upon his return from Cairo. He alleged that the move was instigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) at the directive of the National Security Adviser.
He said he became aware of the alleged plan through information from someone who had listened to intercepted phone conversations involving the NSA.
Tensions escalated at the EFCC headquarters when supporters and critics of the former governor gathered at the premises during his appearance. Security operatives reportedly fired teargas to disperse the clashing groups.
The fumes drifted into the nearby Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, causing distress among patients and healthcare workers. Witnesses reported that pregnant women, children, and other vulnerable patients struggled to breathe as the smoke spread within the hospital premises.
One pregnant woman described scenes of panic, saying patients were coughing, tearing up, and scrambling for safety.
Concerns have since been raised about the proximity of the anti-graft agency’s office to a major health facility, especially regarding the risks posed by crowd-control measures in such a sensitive environment.
As of press time, the EFCC had not issued an official statement on the teargas incident.
The unfolding developments have heightened political tensions, with El-Rufai now facing both financial misconduct investigations and cybercrime-related charges as legal proceedings loom.