ICPC Frees El-Rufai to Bury Mother, Returns Home Amid Trial

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has returned to his Abuja residence after being granted temporary release from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on compassionate grounds to attend the burial of his late mother.

El-Rufai’s mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, died in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday following a period of illness.

Confirming the development, his son, Bashir El-Rufai, disclosed in a post on X that his father had been freed from custody.

“Alhamdulillah. My beloved great legend of a father is being released from his unlawful and illegal detention at the hands of one of the most corrupt agencies in the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he wrote.

El-Rufai had been in ICPC custody since February 18 over allegations bordering on financial misconduct and related offences. He was arraigned earlier this week before a Federal High Court in Kaduna on a 10-count charge involving alleged abuse of office, fraud, and money laundering.

According to the anti-corruption agency, the former governor is accused of receiving N289.8 million twice as severance allowance, far above the legally approved amount and allegedly receiving $817,900 in suspected proceeds of corruption while in office.

He has, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The court adjourned the matter to March 31 to consider pending applications, including his bail request.

El-Rufai is also facing a separate prosecution involving alleged phone-tapping claims, with another arraignment scheduled for April.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu described the late matriarch as a woman who lived a remarkable life and raised children who have contributed significantly to the country.