El-Rufai To Spend 2nd Night In EFCC’s Custody

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is spend second night in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after failing to secure administrative bail.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the EFCC had no plans of granting the chieftain of the African Democratic Party (ADC) bail and was concluding plans to arraign him for misappropriation of funds and money laundering during his time as governor of Kaduna State.

LEADERSHIP reports that El-Rufai has been detained since Monday when he reported to the anti-graft agency’s office for questioning over allegations against him.

A reliable source, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said the EFCC planned to hold him until he is arraigned over N432 billion fraud allegations against him.

Part of the accusations against the former governor include misappropriating loans, violating due process in contract awards, money laundering and plunging the state into heavy debts rather than relieving the state with no trace of any project tied to the money.

The EFCC source further revealed that part of their investigation and interrogation was connected to the report of the Kaduna State House of Assembly’s Ad hoc Committee constituted in 2024 to investigate finances, loans, and contracts awarded between 2015 and 2023 under El-Rufai’s administration.

Recall that while presenting the committee’s report during plenary, the House Committee chairman, Henry Zacharia, had alleged that most of the loans obtained by the El-Rufai administration were not utilised for the purposes for which they were secured.

The speaker of the House, Yusuf Leman, also alleged that about N423 billion was siphoned under the El-Rufai administration, leaving Kaduna State with heavy financial liabilities and a rising debt profile.

The committee report recommended prosecution of the former governor and several members of his cabinet over alleged abuse of office, award of contracts without due process, diversion of public funds, money laundering, and reckless borrowing.

Part of the issues raised in the report included disputed cash payments and contracts amounting to over N155m, as well as the alleged diversion of N1.37bn earmarked for a light rail project, and also laundering of N64.8m by senior aides to the former governor.

The lawmakers had also called, in a petition to the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to ensure that the funds were recovered.