There are indications that officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) have rearrested and detained former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai moments after his release on bail by the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
El-Rufai, held by the EFCC since Monday on graft suspicions, walked free around 8pm Wednesday.
IA source had told our reporter that the operatives who picked him up were from the Department of State Services (DSS).
Witnesses described an ambush-style operation at the commission’s Abuja base, underscoring the intense scrutiny facing the former Governor.
NewsQuest reports that the latest detention of the former Governor stems from DSS accusations that El-Rufai illegally tapped phone lines of National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, breaching cybercrime legislation.
The DSS has already filed charges against the former Governor at the Abuja Federal High Court under case FCT/ABJ/CR/99/2026.
The three-count charge cites his live TV admissions as evidence of unlawful interception threatening national security.
Neither the DSS nor El-Rufai’s lawyers have commented publicly, as the saga draws criticism over overlapping probes by EFCC, ICPC and now the DSS.
El-Rufai had turned himself in for interrogation following a letter of invitation to him by EFCC, which had been looking into his time as Governor of Kaduna State.
Earlier in June 2024, an ad hoc committee set up by Kaduna State House of Assembly to investigate all finances, loans, and contracts awarded under the El-Rufai administration submitted its report to the Assembly.
Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Henry Zacharia, said most of the loans obtained under the El-Rufai’s administration were not used for the purposes for which they were obtained, while in some cases, due process was not followed in securing the loans.
Speaker of the Kaduna State Assembly, Yusuf Liman, said a total of N423 billion was allegedly siphoned by the El-Rufai’s administration, leaving the state with huge liabilities.
