El-Rufai Raises Alarm Over Alleged Targeted Orchestration Against Him

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has expressed concern over what he described as coordinated attempts to malign and intimidate him amid ongoing legal proceedings.

In a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, it was alleged that an attempted arrest of El-Rufai upon his return to Abuja from Cairo on 12 February 2026 signaled a series of troubling events that followed.

Adekeye said El-Rufai later honoured an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 16 February 2026, after which he was reportedly detained and subsequently moved to the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on 18 February. He added that the former governor remains in detention and has been arraigned before two separate High Courts.

The statement also referenced a media report titled “El-Rufai’s trial: Gunmen invade principal witness home,” which claimed that a prosecution witness in a Kaduna High Court case reported an armed intrusion at his residence.

While acknowledging the importance of reporting crimes to authorities, Adekeye criticised what he called the publication of misleading insinuations linking El-Rufai to the incident.

According to him, the report suggested that the witness associated the attack with his involvement in corruption charges against El-Rufai, including allegations tied to land revocation and reallocation, and drew comparisons with the disappearance of activist Abubakar Idris Dadiyata.

Adekeye argued that such narratives were intended to damage El-Rufai’s reputation, influence his bail proceedings, and unjustly implicate him in serious offences. He maintained that the former governor has no connection to the alleged incident and described the claims as unfounded.

He added that El-Rufai has instructed his legal team to pursue defamation action over the publication.

The statement further alleged that since 2023, the former governor has faced sustained public attacks and misrepresentation despite his record in public service.

Adekeye insisted that the rule of law must be upheld, warning against the misuse of legal and media processes to infringe on individual rights. He called for El-Rufai to be granted full access to due process while his trial continues.