The family of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai has called for his immediate and unconditional release from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
It insisted that his continued detention has no legal basis in a statement issued by the family and signed by his son, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, it said the former Federal Capital Territory minister haf remained in ICPC custody despite the expiration of the legal order that initially permitted his detention.
According to the family, El-Rufai was first taken into custody on February 18, 2026, after responding to an invitation from the anti-graft agency.
It noted that a magistrate’s court subsequently issued a remand order on February 19, which allowed the ICPC to detain him for 14 days pending investigation.
However, the family argued that the detention window had elapsed and that the ICPC had neither filed charges in a competent court nor secured a fresh order authorising his continued custody.
“As of today, there is no valid legal instrument authorising his detention,” the family said, describing the development as “unlawful” and calling on the anti-corruption agency to release him immediately.
The statement comes amid a growing legal and political dispute following the raid on El-Rufai’s residence in Abuja by ICPC officials.
