The family of Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna state, has demanded his immediate and unconditional release from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
In a statement issued on Friday, the family said el-Rufai’s continued detention by the ICPC has no legal basis.
The statement was signed by Bello el-Rufai, the former governor’s son and a member of the house of representatives representing Kaduna north federal constituency.
The family said el-Rufai was first taken into custody on February 18, adding that the ICPC subsequently obtained a remand order from a magistrate’s court on February 19.
The family described the remand order as “defective”, adding that it only permitted a 14-day detention period.
They said the detention order has now expired without the ICPC filing charges against the former governor in a competent court.
“As of today, March 6, 2026, Nasir El-Rufai remains in ICPC custody under circumstances that have no basis in law. We state categorically that there is currently no valid legal instrument authorizing his detention,” the statement reads.
“Following his detention, the ICPC obtained a remand order from a magistrate court on February 19. However, this order was defective from the outset and, by law, provided only a 14-day window for his detention.
“That 14-day period has now ended. The ICPC has not charged him with any offense in a competent court. Neither have they secured a fresh or extended lawful order to continue detaining him.”
The family said the continued detention amounts to “unlawful, brazen self-help”.
“Despite the expiration of any legal cover for his detention, the ICPC persists in holding him. This is no longer a matter of lawful procedure; it is unlawful, brazen self-help,” the statement added.
“The ICPC has failed in its fundamental obligation to either charge him before a court of competent jurisdiction or release him.”
The family alleged that the anti-corruption agency is being used as a tool for political persecution.
“The path forward is clear and logical: release him immediately,” the family said.
“Their refusal to do so confirms what we have long feared—that the ICPC is being wielded as a tool for political persecution rather than operating as an impartial institution of justice.”
El-Rufai has been in the custody of the ICPC since February 19 after he was released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
On Thursday, the former governor of Kaduna told the ICPC that his investigation is “politically motivated”.
El-Rufai had also challenged the legality of the search conducted on his Abuja residence on February 19.
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