Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai was detained on Monday night at the Abuja headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following hours of interrogation over alleged large-scale financial impropriety linked to his eight years in office.

Multiple sources within the anti-graft agency confirmed that El-Rufai, who arrived at the EFCC’s Jabi office around 10 a.m. in response to an invitation, was questioned in connection with allegations arising from a 2024 report by the Kaduna State House of Assembly. The report accused his administration of misappropriating public funds, violating due process in contract awards and saddling the state with unsustainable debt.

A senior EFCC official said investigations into the former governor had been ongoing for about a year, stressing that invitations are typically issued only after inquiries have reached an advanced stage. The source added that El-Rufai remained in custody late Monday and would not be released that night.

EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale confirmed that the former governor honoured the commission’s invitation but declined to comment on the substance of the interrogation or the next steps.

The detention marks a sharp escalation in the legal and political troubles facing the outspoken former Federal Capital Territory minister and current chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, whose recent criticism of the Federal Government and security agencies has heightened tensions in Abuja. The Department of State Services (DSS) was reported to be on standby as a precautionary measure.

Alleged N423bn misappropriation

The EFCC probe is anchored on the findings of an ad hoc committee set up by the Kaduna Assembly to examine finances, loans and contracts awarded between 2015 and 2023. Presenting the report in 2024, the committee chairman, Henry Zacharia, alleged that most loans obtained during El-Rufai’s tenure were not applied to their stated purposes.

The Speaker of the House, Yusuf Dahiru Leman, claimed that about N423 billion was siphoned under the administration, leaving Kaduna State burdened with heavy liabilities. Lawmakers recommended the investigation and prosecution of the former governor and several aides for alleged abuse of office, diversion of public funds, money laundering and reckless borrowing. Petitions were subsequently forwarded to the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The report also cited disputed cash payments and contracts exceeding N155 million, the alleged diversion of N1.37 billion meant for a light rail project, and purported laundering of N64.8 million by senior officials.

El-Rufai has consistently dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, maintaining that all loans were properly appropriated and deployed to infrastructure, education, healthcare and security projects.

Bugging allegation and court charges

As the EFCC interrogation continued, the Federal Government filed criminal charges against El-Rufai at the Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged unlawful interception of the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The three-count charge, filed under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, followed comments El-Rufai made during an appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme on February 13, 2026. Prosecutors allege he admitted that he and unnamed associates unlawfully intercepted the NSA’s communications and failed to report the act to authorities.

According to the charge sheet, the alleged interception compromised public safety and national security and caused widespread apprehension. No date had been fixed for El-Rufai’s arraignment as of press time.

The charges stem from the former governor’s televised claim that he learned of a plan to arrest him through a leaked conversation from Ribadu’s phone—an assertion that has since triggered a full criminal prosecution.