Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has spent the night with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N432 billion fraud.
Also, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Federal Government are investigating the former governor for alleged tapping of the phone of the National Security Adviser, (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu.
El-Rufai on Monday responded to the EFCC invitation by going to their headquarters where operatives grilled him into the night.
His spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that el-Rufai honoured the commission’s invitation, adding that “he had a frank and fruitful interaction with the EFCC officials, whom his counsel noted were entirely professional in their approach and conduct. He remains with the EFCC.”
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE reports that the DSS, apart from the three-count charge against the former governor, has re-opened the probe into the disappearance of a renowned government critic, Abubakar Idris, better known as Dadiyata in 2019.
Dandiyata was taken away from his Kaduna home by unknown gunmen after he criticized El-Rufai’s administration in the state.
Dadiyata, a lecturer at the Department of English and Linguistics at the Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, was on August 1, 2019 declared missing by his wife.
The DSS three-count charge against el-rufai for allaged phone tapping include “as a guest on Arise TV Station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, admitted during the interview that he and his cohorts unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 12 (1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024.
The second charge was based on el-Rufai’s interview where he was quoted as saying “that you know and relate with certain individual, who unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, without reporting the said individual to relevant security agencies and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 27(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment, Act, 2024.”
In the third, the DSS accused El Rufai and others at large of using technical equipment or systems which compromised public safety, national security and instilling reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians by unlawfully intercepting the phone communications of the NSA Ribadu, “to which you admitted during an interview on 13th February, 2026, on Arise TV Station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 131 (2) Nigerian Communications Act 2003.”
Also, e-Rufai, alongside some of his aides, was in 2024, indicted by the Kaduna State House of Assembly for alleged over N4 billion fraud.
The Assembly’s ad hoc committee, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Henry Magaji Danjuma, investigated el-Rufai, and alleged that most loans El-Rufai’s administration obtained were diverted, adding that due process was not followed in securing both domestic and foreign loans in some instances.
Receiving the report, the Speaker of the House, Yusuf Liman, said over N4 billion was siphoned during the administration, leaving the state with significant liabilities.
Acting on the report, the Assembly asked Governor Uba Sani to refer El-Rufai, former Commissioners of Finance, heads of agencies and former Accountant Generals to security and anti-corruption agencies for investigation and possible prosecution for alleged abuse of office, contract irregularities, diversion of public funds and money laundering.
