El-Rufai, who has been in the custody of the ICPC for a while, was arrested by the anti-graft agency over allegations of corruption and money laundering.
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has released the former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, following the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai.
His temporary release was confirmed by his son, Bashir, in a post shared on Friday night on his X (formerly Twitter) page.
“Alhamdulillah. My beloved great legend of a father (@elrufai) is being released from his unlawful and illegal detention at the hands of one of the most corrupt agencies in the Federal Republic of Nigeria that is a lame excuse of a pathetic institution.
“Thank you all for all the support. Our family shall never forget these times. We have overcome, as the El-Rufais always do,” he wrote.
Hajiya El-Rufai passed away on Friday in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, following a period of illness.
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Her passing was earlier announced by her grandson, Bello El-Rufai, via a Facebook post expressing gratitude for her life.
“Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. From Allah SWT we came, and to Him we shall all return. I would like to inform the public of the demise of my grandmother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, who passed away a few hours ago,” the post read.
Meanwhile, notable Nigerians, including President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, have paid tribute to the late Hajiya El-Rufai.
Nasir El-Rufai, who has been in the custody of the ICPC for a while, was arrested by the anti-graft agency over allegations of corruption and money laundering.
He was subsequently arraigned before a Federal High Court in Kaduna on 24 March on a 10-count charge. The case was adjourned until 31 March 2026, for the hearing of pending applications, including his bail request.
