The Department of State Services (DSS) on Wednesday reportedly took Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State governor into custody at the federal high court in Kaduna shortly after proceedings in his ongoing bail application.
El-Rufai had earlier been brought to court by officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), where he is facing investigations linked to alleged corruption and related offences.
However, following the court’s decision to reserve ruling on his bail application until April 14, DSS operatives reportedly took custody of the former governor immediately after the session.
Details of the reasons for the DSS action were not immediately clear as of press time, while neither the DSS nor the ICPC had issued an official statement on the development.
El-Rufai has faced a series of arrests, detentions and investigations by security and anti-graft agencies in recent months.
The former governor has been in ICPC custody since February 18, 2026, over allegations of financial misconduct and other related investigations.
His legal troubles followed an earlier arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over corruption allegations, after which he was re-arrested and transferred to ICPC custody as investigations expanded.
There was also an earlier attempt to arrest him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja in February 2026 following his return from Cairo, an incident that reportedly caused a standoff with security operatives.