The detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, by various Nigerian anti-corruption and security agencies has escalated into a complex legal and political confrontation, marked by allegations of wiretapping equipment, sensitive security documents, and financial impropriety against the former governor, countered by claims of political persecution, human rights abuses, and procedural irregularities from El-Rufai and his family.

Court documents tendered by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) revealed that wiretapping equipment, allegedly capable of intercepting conversations of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, along with sensitive security documents, were recovered from El-Rufai's Abuja residence. This discovery was made during a search operation on February 19, 2026, at No. 12 Mambila Street, Aso Drive, Asokoro District, Abuja, witnessed by his wife, Hadiza Isma el-Rufai, and son, Hon. Mohammed Bello el-Rufai. The ICPC stated that these documents were "capable of compromising national security" and recalled El-Rufai's past admission on Arise Television to tapping Ribadu's phone conversations. Beyond these security concerns, the ICPC has formally invited El-Rufai to answer to various corruption allegations during his tenure as Kaduna State governor from 2015 to 2023. These allegations include explaining the whereabouts of €1.4 million, 180 suspicious payments totaling N2,158,799,199 from a Consolidated Revenue Account linked to Kaduna State’s IGR, and transfers to undisclosed accounts amounting to N428,122,180.18.

El-Rufai's journey into detention began on February 16, 2026, when he honored an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where he was detained and interrogated for three days. Upon his release by the EFCC on February 18, he was immediately arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) before being handed over to the ICPC. The ICPC obtained a 14-day remand order on February 19, 2026, which was set to lapse on March 5, 2026. The commission has accused El-Rufai of not cooperating with their investigation, stating that he refused to volunteer any statement when confronted with preliminary investigation documents and exhibits, despite his popularity as a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In response to his arrest and continued detention, El-Rufai, through his legal team led by Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, filed a fundamental rights suit at a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), alleging political motivation behind his trial. He named EFCC, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), DSS, and ICPC as respondents. Furthermore, El-Rufai initiated another suit seeking N1 billion in damages against the ICPC and others, challenging the legality of the search warrant issued on February 4, 2026, that authorized the search of his residence. He argues that the warrant was "invalid, null and void for lack of particularity, material drafting errors, ambiguity in execution parameters, overbreadth, and absence of probable cause," constituting an unlawful search in violation of constitutional rights. He seeks an injunction to restrain the agencies from using any evidence obtained from the alleged unlawful search and demands the return of all seized items.

The former governor explicitly stated in his statements on oath on February 19 and 20 that he would exercise his right to silence, choosing to respond to any allegations only before a court, asserting that the investigations amounted to "political persecution."

The El-Rufai family has strongly countered the ICPC's claims regarding wiretapping equipment, describing them as "falsehoods" and "theatrical posturing designed to prosecute a media war." Hon. Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, the former governor's son and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Banking Regulations, signed a statement on behalf of the family, denying the seizure of any sophisticated tapping equipment or sensitive security documents. He asserted that only old discarded personal mobile phones, storage devices like flash drives, and laptops were seized. Mohammed Bello El-Rufai also accused the ICPC of attempting to "weaponise" his father's silence, reminding the commission of the constitutional right to remain silent, which he argued is not an act of non-cooperation. The family further claimed that the search warrant itself was legally defective, possibly forged, and issued by a Magistrate purporting to sit in the High Court, rendering the entire search void. They have instructed their legal team to pursue all available remedies to challenge the illegal search, forged warrant, and defamatory statements.

Adding another layer to the controversy, five security officers were arrested and detained over a security breach at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, on February 12, 2026. This incident occurred when Department of State Services (DSS) operatives attempted to arrest El-Rufai upon his arrival from Cairo, Egypt. Though the arrest was initially thwarted, his passport was seized. A joint investigation by the DSS, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and the Federal Ministry of Aviation revealed that the detained officers — ASP Ayuba Yakubu (Police), Murtala Inuwa (DSS), Najeeb Murtala (NIS), Musa Adamu (Aviation Security), and Salihu Victor (Aviation Security) — confessed to receiving bribes to facilitate unauthorized access to restricted areas and obstruct lawful security procedures. These officers have since been transferred to the ICPC for prosecution. Other Immigration and Customs personnel involved in misusing uniforms for unauthorized access, though not criminally liable, face internal disciplinary measures, underscoring a "zero-tolerance" policy against internal compromise in Nigeria's aviation security system.