FG Will Be Held Responsible If Anything Happens To El-Rufai, Says Atiku

Atiku: FG will be held responsible if anything happens to el-Rufai

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar says the federal government would be liable should anything happen to Nasir el-Rufai, former Kaduna state governor.

El-Rufai had voluntarily presented himself at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 16 following an invitation from the agency.

However, on February 18, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) took the former Kaduna governor into custody after he was released by the EFCC.

The anti-graft agencies are probing el-Rufai over alleged financial improprieties during his tenure as governor of Kaduna state between 2015 and 2023.

In a statement on Monday, Muyiwa Adekeye, media aide to Nasir el-Rufai, said it had been eight days since the former Kaduna governor had been detained, adding that he suffered an overnight nosebleed while in custody.

Adekeye said el-Rufai’s legal team has not been shown any remand order authorising his continued detention beyond 48 hours without charge.

He said el-Rufai’s legal team and family are “having difficulties in securing access to him in detention”.

Reacting to this in a post on X, Abubakar said el-Rufai’s health and welfare is a matter of grave concern to his family, friends, and associates.
He said the federal government owes Nigerians clarity and must state clearly which agency is holding el-Rufai, among the EFCC, ICPC, the State Security Service (SSS), or any other security agency.

“Secrecy in matters of detention only fuels suspicion. Nigerians deserve transparency,” Abubakar said.

“Whichever agency is responsible has a constitutional duty to guarantee his safety, dignity, access to medical care, and access to his family and legal representatives.”

Abubakar said if the government agencies cannot guarantee el-Rufai’s health and fundamental rights, the lawful and humane course of action is to grant him bail without delay.

“If anything happens to El-Rufai, this government will be held accountable,” he warned.

“More troubling, however, is the growing perception of selective prosecution, in which opposition figures are aggressively pursued while others are conspicuously shielded from investigation or interrogation.”

He said anti-corruption must not become a political weapon, noting that el-Rufai’s continued detention under “unclear circumstances” raises serious questions about motive.

According to him, anti-corruption cannot be credible when it appears partisan, coercive, or strategically timed.

He said justice must be transparent and accountability must be even-handed, while the rule of law “must apply to all; without fear, without favour, and without political bias”.