Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has raised alarm over an alleged plot to arrest his elder brother, Bashir El-Rufai, claiming it is a calculated move to pressure him into negotiating with authorities.
He made the explosive claim on Monday during the third-day Firdau prayer for his late mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, held in Abuja and attended by family members, allies, and sympathisers.
“My elder brother Bashir El-Rufai couldn’t make it because we learned that there is a plan to arrest him because they believe if they get him, I will negotiate, that was why we ask him to stay in Cairo and I will be present.”
El-Rufai revealed that his brother is currently in Cairo, Egypt, where he was advised to remain to avoid the alleged arrest, explaining his absence from both the funeral and the prayer session.
The revelation comes amid legal battles and pressure from Nigeria’s anti-graft and security agencies.
In February 2026, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission invited El-Rufai over corruption allegations linked to his time as governor.
He honoured the invitation but was detained on February 16 before being granted bail two days later.
Immediately after regaining freedom, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission swooped in and took him into custody over a separate probe, confirming he was being held as investigations continued.
El-Rufai also alleged that security operatives attempted to arrest him at the Abuja airport upon his return from Egypt.
But the Department of State Services denied any such arrest, insisting it only acted on a request to retrieve his passport.
The case escalated further when ICPC operatives stormed and searched his Abuja residence, an action his lawyers criticised as unlawful and a violation of due process.
On March 24, 2026, El-Rufai was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Kaduna on charges including alleged conversion of public property and money laundering.
A separate case bordering on abuse of office is also pending before a Kaduna State High Court.
