State Security Service arrests El-Rufai after bail hearing at Kaduna state court
The embattled former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai was on Wednesday arrested by operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) after the hearing of his bail application regarding a corruption case filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Penpushing reports that El-Rufai was at the Federal High Court in Kaduna, Kaduna State, and has just finished hearing his bail application and set April 14, 2026 for ruling, but was shortly arrested
The former Governor until Wednesday, was detained by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over fraud and corruption charges instituted against him by the agency.
Penpushing further reports that Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) took custody of El-Rufai on February 18, 2026 after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detained him for two days.
The former Governor faces numerous criminal charges and ongoing investigations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) State Security Service (SSS) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Penpushing also reports that the Security Service (SSS) arrest may be connected with the charges the agency filed against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja, which has already set April 10, 2026 for his arraignment.
The prosecution charged the former Governor in the case over his claim of tapping National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu’s phone call in February, though, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) which has already filed two sets of charges against him at the Federal High Court and the State High Court (both in Kaduna), claims its investigations into him are ongoing.
Penpushing reports that in the case before the Federal High Court in Kaduna which came up on Wednesday, the ICPC accused him of taking inflated severance pays after completing his first and second terms as governor in 2019 and 2023.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) equally accused El-Rufai of receiving suspicious payments in his dollar domiciliary accounts for years while serving as governor.
Penpushing further reports that the alleged fraudulent severance pays totalled N579.7 million while suspicious deposits amounted to $817,900, however, at Wednesday’s hearing, El-Rufai’s lawyer, Oluwole Iyamu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged the Federal High Court in Kaduna to grant the former governor bail, arguing that it is his constitutional right.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) argued that the former Governor has strong ties to Nigeria and poses no flight risk, but the prosecution opposed the application, warning that granting him bail could give him an opportunity to influence witnesses or interfere with ongoing investigations.
Penpushing also reports that Wednesday’s proceedings saw heightened deployment of security personnel within and around the court premises, a feature that has become characteristic of El-Rufai’s appearance before the court since the first time on March 24, 2026.
The defence lawyer, speaking with journalists said his team was prepared for the case pending at the Federal High Court in Abuja, over which the State Security Service (SSS) likely arrested El-Rufai on Wednesday.
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