El-Rufai Taken from EFCC Custody by DSS, Sources Say

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have taken former Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai into custody after two nights at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters, sources told TheCable.

According to multiple insiders, el-Rufai was picked up from the EFCC office in Abuja on Wednesday night. Investigators at the anti-graft agency reportedly attempted several times to secure a written statement from him, but he declined.

El-Rufai had presented himself at the EFCC on Monday following an invitation over alleged financial improprieties during his tenure as Kaduna governor from 2015 to 2023. In 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly accused him of diverting N423 billion in public funds and money laundering, prompting calls for an investigation by anti-graft agencies. He has also been invited by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Last Thursday, security operatives tried to arrest el-Rufai at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after he returned from Cairo, Egypt. The former governor later claimed on Arise Television’s *Prime Time* that the ICPC, allegedly acting on instructions from Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser, had directed the DSS to detain him.

On Monday, the DSS filed a three-count charge against el-Rufai for allegedly intercepting the NSA’s telephone conversation. Sources emphasized to TheCable that the DSS action is not connected to the EFCC investigation but relates to a separate security issue.

“He has a case to answer regarding an escalating security matter,” a senior security official said. “This is not related to the EFCC investigation. It is a separate matter entirely.”