A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress has asked the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to either charge former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to court or release him without further delay.
The call was made by Usman Austin in a statement issued on Saturday, where he expressed concern over the continued custody of the former governor and urged the commission to follow due process in handling the matter.
Austin referenced the recent approach of the Department of State Services, noting that the agency opted to seek judicial intervention in similar cases rather than resort to prolonged detention.
He said, “The decision of the DSS to approach a court of law rather than resorting to arbitrary detention is both civil and democratic. The DSS has shown that the proper way to handle such matters is to let the court decide through merit based arguments from both the prosecutor and the defendant.”
According to him, if there are allegations against El-Rufai, they should be addressed openly in court, in line with established legal procedures.
He maintained that anti corruption agencies must act within the confines of the law to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic system.
Austin also pointed out that El-Rufai had previously honoured an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and described him as cooperative with investigative authorities.
“The EFCC is yet to explain the circumstances of this custody, whether Mallam El-Rufai was officially handed over to the ICPC or if he was re arrested after being granted administrative bail. This ambiguity undermines the rule of law,” he said.
He added that arresting an individual before commencing an investigation amounts to a violation of the right to fair hearing and warned that anti graft agencies must not allow themselves to be used as tools of oppression.
“The ICPC must uphold the standards of a civilised society. If there is a case against El-Rufai, let it be argued in court. If not, he must be released immediately,” the statement read.
El-Rufai was reportedly taken into custody by ICPC operatives shortly after his release by the EFCC. Sources confirmed that he had arrived at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Monday for questioning and remained there until Wednesday before being taken into ICPC custody.
The ICPC, in a statement signed by its Head of Media and Public Communications, John Odey, confirmed that the former governor remains in its custody in connection with an ongoing investigation as of the close of work on February 18, 2026.
