Confusion has trailed reports of the temporary release of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission following the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai.
Bashir El-Rufai, son of the former governor, announced his father’s release on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday night, but deleted the statement minutes later — leaving questions unanswered about the actual status of the detained former governor.
..., made at exactly 9:56 p.m., had gained over 33,000 views before it was deleted.
In the now-deleted post, Bashir El-Rufai celebrated his father’s release while launching a scathing attack on the ICPC.
“Alhamdulillah. My beloved great legend of a father (@elrufai) is being released from his unlawful and illegal detention at the hands of one of the most corrupt agencies in the Federal Republic of Nigeria that is a lame excuse of a pathetic institution,” Bashir wrote.
“Thank you all for all the support. Our family shall never forget these times. We have overcome, as the El-Rufai’s always do.”
The deletion of the post has sparked speculation about whether the release was indeed confirmed or whether circumstances changed after the announcement was made.
When contacted on the matter, spokesperson of the ICPC, Mr. John Odey, declined to respond to calls nor did he respond to messages sent to him via WhatsApp.
The commission’s silence has added to the confusion surrounding the former governor’s custody status.
According to reports, the temporary freedom was granted to enable the former governor perform the funeral rites of his late mother, who died in Cairo, Egypt, after a period of illness.
El-Rufai, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, has been in custody of the ICPC following his re-arrest after being initially detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
He was arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna on March 24 on a 10-count charge of corruption and money laundering. The case was adjourned until March 31, 2026, for hearing of pending applications, including his bail request.
The drama surrounding El-Rufai’s release came hours after his family announced the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, who had been receiving medical treatment in Egypt.
Her passing comes just a week after the death of her daughter-in-law, Safiya Ali Rufai, compounding the family’s grief.
Her passing comes just a week after the death of her daughter-in-law, Safiya Ali Rufai, compounding the family’s grief.
Her death was announced on Friday by her grandson, Bello El-Rufai, in a Facebook post.
“Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. From Allah SWT we came, and to Him we shall all return. I would like to inform the public of the demise of my grandmother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, who passed away a few hours ago,” the post read.
“She is the biological mother of our father, Mallam Nasir @elrufai. We are grateful for the life she lived and may Allah SWT bless her gentle soul. May He bless the soul of the parents we have lost. On behalf of our family, we seek your prayers. Thank you.”
As of the time of filing this report, details of Hajiya El-Rufai’s burial arrangements had yet to be announced.
President Bola Tinubu, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the late matriarch of the El-Rufai family as a woman who lived a remarkable life, raised children and grandchildren who have contributed greatly to the country.