By Kingston Magare 28.3.2026
Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, for now is breathing the air of freedom after being released from detention by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Friday following the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai.
She passed away in Cairo, Egypt, after a brief illness, it was reported that El-Rufai detention by the ICPC in part contributed to her demise. On Friday evening El-Rufai was released on administrative bail to allow him to bury his mother.
But the ICPC decision has been called to question by lawyer Inibehe Effiong and senior journalist Richard Akinola.
“A person who’s remanded by an order of a court cannot be released legally without recourse to the court. ICPC Nigeria, can you clarify the procedure adopted in this case? El-Rufai’s motion for bail is slated for Tuesday, March 31, 2026,” Effiong wrote on his Facebook social media platform.
“How was his release processed? Is this another government magic that the legendary Fela sang about?”
Also veteran journalist Akinola wrote: “Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, unfortunately lost his mother yesterday while on court remand in ICPC custody.
“El-Rufai’s bail application has not yet been heard. The court ordered that he be remanded in the ICPC custody pending the hearing of his bail application next week. So, under which order did the ICPC release him for his mum’s burial? I don’t get it.
“It would have been a different thing if he had not been charged to court, hence, ICPC could have released him on compassionate grounds, even though he was being illegally held. But since the court is seized of the matter, the agency cannot whimsically release him.”
El-Rufai, and one Joel Adoga are standing trial of the Federal High Court in Kaduna over alleged money laundering and corruption-related offences earlier this week.
The 10-count charge, marked FHC/KD/73/2026, was filed on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the Kaduna Judicial Division.
According to the charge sheet dated March 18, 2026, the ICPC accused El-Rufai of unlawfully taking possession of N289.8 million as severance allowance on two occasions in September 2020 and January 2023, bringing the total to about N579 million, far above the legally entitled sum of about N20 million.