The Continued Incarceration Of Malam Nasir El-Rufai And The Nigerian Justice System -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

As I write this, it is difficult for me and some other well-meaning Nigerians and lovers of justice to believe that Malam Nasir El-Rufai, the tough-talking erstwhile governor of Kaduna State has spent over 240 days in incarceration. The two-time governor of the Liberal State has been in incarceration since Monday, February, 2026 after he willingly reported to the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to honor their invitation. Thereafter, he was arrested and transferred to the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and charged with corruption, fraud, and money laundering.

But beyond the legal razzmatazz and political gimmickry it is believe that the government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is behind the whole of the travails of El-Rufai because of political differences. And all the talk by the anti-graft agencies that due process is being strictly adhered to under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) are all distractions. The ICPC and the EFCC follow due process when it suits their and when it is in the interest of the man that issues the orders from above.

The continued detention of El-Rufai, nicknamed as the action minister during his tenure as the Federal Capital Territory Minister because of how he worked to restore the Abuja Master Plan, has generated intense public debate in Nigeria. The government has tried in vain to convince curious Nigerians that it has no hands in the travails of El-Rufai. But, much as the government propagandists try, many Nigerians believe and rightly too that El-Rufai is suffering from political vendetta orchestrated by the federal government due to his outspoken criticisms and public advocacy which the current regime dislikes. Apart from individuals, different organizations and interest groups have spoken in condemnation of the continued detention of Malam El-Rufai.

As expected, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the new political platform to which El-Rufai belongs has been on the forefront on the campaign for his release. The party on many occasions has condemned his incarceration which they characterized as political persecution and grave violation of his fundamental human rights. Also, a coalition of Nigerian professionals in a world press conference in Abuja on March 26, 2026 called on Tinubu and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to intervene in what they called: selective justice and the erosion of democratic values in the El-Rufai’s case. That is not all. On Monday, June 22, 2026, a coalition of Women Societies and Associations in Kaduna State that comprises over 100 women groups in the state led by Hon. Hafsat M. Baba and Hajiya Laila Gambo issued a joint statement condemning the arrest, unfair treatment and continued detention of their former governor and demanding respect for the rule of law and the immediate and unconditional release of El-Rufai and his personal aides.

On August 31, 2026 the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) through its Secretary-General Malam Nafi’u Baba-Ahmad issued a public statement highlighting the difficulties inherent in the El-Rufai’s bail conditions, stating that every citizen remains innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction and urging the authorities to respect the rule of law, due process and constitutional rights in the case, warning about the implications of arbitrary or politically motivated actions. In the same vein, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), led by its Secretary-General, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede issued their statement warning the federal government and the judiciary against allowing individuals with vested interests to use public institutions to execute a sectarian agenda.

In truth we do not have to look too far to decipher the reason behind the travails of the former BPE boss. The conflicting court orders, the court adjournments and stringent bail conditions were part of the ploy to keep El-Rufai away from the political arena. Besides being one of those that convinced Buhari to endorse Tinubu’s candidacy in 2023, Malam El-Rufai was the real master strategist that swayed the Northern political elements into supporting Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election. And now that he has parted ways with Tinubu, there is apprehension in Tinubu’s camp that letting El-Rufai free would work against their electoral interest. And to them, El-Rufai should be kept away from lending his political expertise to the opposition.

Thus, the continued incarceration of Malam Nasir El-Rufai has very little to do with corruption and anti-graft agencies. Many that have worse corruption cases are working freely in Nigeria today; many of them enjoying political appointment and many are in the Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council. The travails of El-Rufai show the failure of our state institutions and the weak justice system that is everything but independent.

Evidently, Tinubu is vengeful and vindictive using the state institutions as weapons to fight the opposition and perceived political enemies. It is El-Rufai and Abubakar Malami today; we don’t know who will be next. We must resist this act of trying to browbeat everyone into one political group. This is dictatorship and it is working against our Democracy. Nigeria we must resist dictatorship and authoritarianism. We must vote out tyranny and take back our country. Long live Nigeria!

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com
An actress, social activist, politician
London, UK