The family of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai has called for his immediate release, alleging that his continued detention by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has no legal basis.
In a statement issued on March 6, 2026, the family said El-Rufai has remained in custody despite the expiration of the remand order used to justify his detention.
According to the statement, El-Rufai was first taken into ICPC custody on February 18, 2026. The agency subsequently obtained a remand order from a magistrate court on February 19, which the family described as defective and valid only for 14 days.
They said that period has now lapsed and that the commission has neither filed formal charges against him in a competent court nor secured a fresh court order to extend his detention.
The family therefore accused the anti-corruption agency of acting outside the law by continuing to hold him. They insisted that the only lawful options available to the ICPC are to charge him before a competent court or release him immediately.
The statement, signed by Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, member representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency, described the continued detention as politically motivated and demanded the “immediate and unconditional release” of the former governor.
