Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has returned to his Abuja residence after being granted temporary release by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to attend the burial of his late mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, who passed away on Friday in Cairo after a period of illness.
Bashir El-Rufai, his son, confirmed the release on X, expressing gratitude to well-wishers and describing the family’s ordeal as overcome.
The former governor had been in ICPC custody since February 18 over allegations of financial misconduct.
He is also facing a separate case with the Department of State Services over alleged phone-tapping involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, with his arraignment scheduled for April 23 at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi visited El-Rufai at his home to offer condolences and criticised the federal government, noting that El-Rufai’s release was granted without a court order.
According to him “To show you that the government knows what they’re doing, they just released him (El-Rufai) without a court order.”