El-Rufai Alleges Fresh Attempt To Arrest Him Over Witness Invasion Report
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has raised alarm over what he described as a fresh attempt to criminalise and re-arrest him following a media report linking him to an alleged invasion of the residence of a prosecution witness in his ongoing corruption trial.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, the former governor reacted to a report published by The Nation on Saturday titled “El-Rufai’s trial: Gunmen invade principal witness’s home.”
According to the report, Mohammed Umar Karage, a principal prosecution witness in one of the corruption cases against El-Rufai at the Kaduna State High Court, alleged that unidentified armed men invaded his residence and linked the incident to his role in the trial.
However, Adekeye dismissed the report as a deliberate attempt to frame El-Rufai, describing it as “targeted framing” aimed at damaging his reputation and justifying his re-arrest.
He said the publication created false insinuations suggesting that El-Rufai was behind the alleged attack, with the intention of jeopardising his pending bail application and implicating him in more serious offences.
“The evident objective is to secure his indefinite detention through these reprehensible tactics,” the statement read.
Adekeye maintained that El-Rufai has no connection whatsoever to the alleged invasion and described him as an upstanding and law-abiding citizen.
He revealed that the former governor has instructed his legal team to commence defamation proceedings over the publication.
El-Rufai, who was reportedly detained in February after honouring an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was later transferred to the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), where he is currently facing corruption charges.
Last Tuesday, the Federal High Court in Kaduna granted him bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties after he had spent weeks in detention.
The ICPC had arraigned El-Rufai alongside Joel Adoga on multiple corruption charges, including allegations surrounding the unlawful revocation and reallocation of land. Both defendants denied the charges.
Adekeye further alleged that since 2023, El-Rufai has been subjected to a sustained campaign of vilification and political persecution despite what he described as his distinguished record of public service.
He called for respect for the rule of law and urged authorities not to turn legal processes into instruments of oppression.
“The persistent disregard for his rights must cease immediately,” the statement added.
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