Hajiya Asiya El-Rufai, wife of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has appealed to the international community over her husband's continued detention, describing his 150 days in custody without trial as a serious test of the rule of law in Nigeria.
In a statement released on July 16, Asiya said she was speaking "not as a politician, lawyer or diplomat, but as a wife, a mother and a Nigerian woman."
She reflected on the human impact of the prolonged detention, saying, "One hundred and fifty days is not a legal phrase. It is five months of missed meals, missed prayers, missed proper mourning of his deceased mother, missed family conversations, interrupted medical care and moments we can never recover."
El-Rufai was arrested on February 16, 2026, and was temporarily released for three days in March to attend his mother's burial before being returned to custody.
The former governor is standing trial over allegations that he unlawfully intercepted the telephone communications of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. He also faces charges related to alleged abuse of office, money laundering, and corruption.
In her appeal, Asiya stressed that she was not seeking immunity for her husband but a fair legal process. She argued that detaining him for months before trial amounts to "punishment before trial" rather than justice or accountability.
"If the state believes it has evidence, let it be presented before an impartial court, openly and fairly," she said.
She also expressed concern about her husband's health, stating that he suffers from high blood pressure and high blood sugar. According to her, he became seriously ill while in custody, experiencing bleeding from his nose and mouth, and has been denied access to his personal physician.
Asiya disclosed that El-Rufai has made several applications for bail. She claimed that although one court granted bail, the conditions attached—including two sureties valued at ₦200 million each and approval from the Kaduna Traditional Council—were impossible to satisfy.
She further argued that her husband's political differences with President Bola Tinubu's ruling party should not make him a target of persecution. Recalling their support during the 2023 presidential election, she noted that both she and her husband campaigned for Tinubu.
"I am not asking you to tell them not to prosecute him, but we are asking you to allow him the basic human rights that the Constitution guarantees," she said.
Legal observers have raised concerns that detaining a defendant for 150 days over offenses that are generally considered bailable could undermine confidence in Nigeria's justice system. The Nigerian Constitution guarantees the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, while most offenses not punishable by death are eligible for bail.
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