The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) conducted a search on Thursday at the Abuja residence of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. His media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, confirmed this development via X (formerly Twitter), stating, "UPDATE: The residence of Malam Nasir @elrufai was today searched by the ICPC." El-Rufai's lawyer, Ubong Akpan, condemned the search as unlawful and a violation of his client’s fundamental rights, also describing it as a clear violation of legal procedures. The ICPC has yet to issue an official statement regarding the operation.

This search is the latest in a series of law enforcement actions involving the former governor. Earlier in the week, on Monday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had detained Mr. El-Rufai over allegations of financial improprieties during his tenure as Kaduna State governor from 2015 to 2023. He was released at approximately 8 p.m. on Wednesday but was immediately taken into custody by ICPC agents at the EFCC head office in Abuja, in connection with ongoing investigations.

Separately, the State Security Service (SSS) has filed cybercrime charges against Mr. El-Rufai at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, stems from comments he made during a live interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme last Friday. During this interview, El-Rufai alleged that the phone of Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, had been tapped, and he claimed to have overheard directives to detain him. Prosecutors from the SSS alleged that he admitted to unlawfully intercepting the NSA’s communications, failed to report such unlawful interception by others, and acted in a manner that compromised national security.

The unfolding controversy began the previous Thursday when security operatives attempted to arrest Mr. El-Rufai at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, shortly after his return from Cairo, Egypt. Videos circulated online depicting a brief confrontation between security personnel and his entourage, with witnesses reporting that his international passport was temporarily confiscated before he was permitted to leave. El-Rufai later asserted that this attempted arrest was carried out on the instruction of the NSA through the SSS. His lawyer criticized the airport incident as arbitrary and unconstitutional, noting that an EFCC invitation had been delivered to El-Rufai while he was abroad, and arrangements had been made for him to honor it upon his return.

These recent events are set against a backdrop of investigations faced by Mr. El-Rufai since leaving office in 2023. In 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly initiated a probe into the alleged diversion of N423 billion in public funds and money laundering during his administration, demanding that anti-graft agencies investigate him. The ICPC had also previously summoned him for questioning. Politically, El-Rufai supported President Bola Tinubu’s emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate in 2023. However, following Tinubu’s inauguration, El-Rufai’s ministerial nomination was not confirmed by the Senate. He subsequently became a vocal critic of the administration and recently joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), pledging to collaborate with opposition figures in anticipation of the 2027 general election.