Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai has alleged a coordinated attempt to keep him in detention, accusing unnamed actors of using media reports and legal proceedings to damage his reputation and frustrate his bid for bail.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai said recent developments surrounding his ongoing legal troubles pointed to what he described as “malicious orchestrations” against him.
He cited an alleged attempt to arrest him at the Abuja airport on February 12, 2026, upon his return from Cairo, as the first sign of what he said was a wider campaign. According to the statement, El-Rufai later honoured an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on February 16, was detained, and was transferred to the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on the night of February 18.
Adekeye said El-Rufai remains in detention and has been arraigned before two separate high courts.
The statement also took aim at a report published by The Nation on April 18 under the headline, “El-Rufai’s trial: Gunmen invade principal witness home.” According to Adekeye, the report went beyond informing the public of an alleged crime and instead used insinuations that sought to link El-Rufai to the incident.
He said the publication was designed to smear the former governor, undermine his pending bail application before the Kaduna State High Court, and implicate him in grave offences in order to justify his continued detention.
The report had quoted Mohammed Umar Karage, said to be a witness in one of the criminal cases against El-Rufai, as alleging that armed men invaded his residence and that the incident could be connected to his role in the trial.
But El-Rufai, through his spokesman, denied any connection to the incident and described the suggestion as false and defamatory.
Adekeye said El-Rufai had already directed his legal team to begin defamation proceedings over the publication.
He also argued that the former governor had faced a sustained campaign of vilification since 2023 despite what he described as a distinguished record of public service.
The statement called for respect for El-Rufai’s rights and warned against turning the rule of law into an instrument of oppression. It said legal processes should serve justice and not be used to deny a citizen liberty while standing trial.
