Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has said the federal government would be held responsible if anything happens to former Kaduna state governor, Nasir el-Rufai.
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 bodies are investigating el-Rufai over alleged financial improprieties during his tenure as governor of Kaduna state between 2015 and 2023.
In a statement, 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 stated that 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.
“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.
“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.”
