El-Rufai Remains in EFCC Custody After Honouring Invitation — Spokesman

ByEditor

Feb 16, 2026 #EFCC interrogation update, #EFCC Nigeria former governor, #El-Rufai airport arrest attempt, #El-Rufai honoured EFCC invitation, #Nasir El-Rufai EFCC custody

Malam Nasir El-Rufai.

Pat Stevens/

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El‑Rufai, remains in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after honouring an invitation for questioning, his media aide has confirmed in a social media update.

In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Muyiwa Adekeye, spokesman to El-Rufai, said the former governor “honoured the invitation extended to him by the EFCC” and had a “frank and fruitful interaction with the EFCC officials, whom his counsel noted were entirely professional in their approach and conduct.”

He added that El-Rufai remains with the EFCC as of the latest update.

This development follows a high-profile sequence of events this week in which security operatives were reported to have attempted to detain El-Rufai at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja shortly after his return to Nigeria from abroad.

His legal team described that incident as an effort to effect a detention without a formal invitation or warrant, and alleged that his international passport was seized by security personnel.

Observers note that El-Rufai’s appearance at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja was in response to an invitation originally issued in December 2025 in connection with an ongoing investigation into allegations of financial misconduct during his tenure as governor between 2015 and 2023.

Reports indicate that some of the matters under inquiry include claims involving substantial sums, with one article referencing allegations of around N432 billion, although no formal charges have been filed publicly at this stage.

El-Rufai’s legal counsel previously communicated to the EFCC that he would attend voluntarily upon his return to the country, and he presented himself before investigators at the commission’s headquarters by 10am on Monday.

The former governor, a prominent figure in Nigerian politics, has denied wrongdoing and contended that some actions relating to his summons and the attempted airport arrest constituted procedural irregularities.

His supporters and critics were both present at the EFCC premises during his arrival, with some calling for a thorough and unbiased investigation, and others expressing solidarity with him.

At the time of writing, the EFCC has not provided a public statement detailing its ongoing questioning or the specific allegations under examination, and it is not clear how long El-Rufai will remain with the agency.