Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have taken former Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai into custody after he spent two nights at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters in Abuja.
Multiple sources confirmed that El-Rufai was picked up from the anti-graft agency’s office on Wednesday night by the secret police.
Insiders said investigators at the EFCC repeatedly asked the former governor to provide a written statement over alleged financial improprieties during his tenure from 2015 to 2023. However, he reportedly declined to submit any written response.
El-Rufai had honoured an EFCC invitation on Monday over allegations linked to the diversion of N423 billion and money laundering claims raised by the Kaduna State House of Assembly in 2024. Lawmakers had recommended a full investigation by anti-corruption agencies.
The former governor has also been invited by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in connection with the allegations.
Last week, security operatives attempted to arrest el-Rufai at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport upon his arrival from Cairo, Egypt.
El-Rufai later alleged that the ICPC acted on the instruction of Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s national security adviser, to facilitate his arrest.
In a recent appearance on Prime Time on Arise Television, el-Rufai claimed that Ribadu’s phone had been wiretapped, enabling him to hear directives for his arrest.
On Monday, the DSS filed a three-count charge against him over the alleged interception of the NSA’s telephone conversation.
Security sources insist the DSS action is unrelated to the EFCC probe. A senior official described it as a “separate and escalating security matter”.
The development deepens the legal troubles facing the former governor, who now confronts investigations on multiple fronts.
