…as APC National Chairman visits; Rights lawyer questions ‘show of compassion’.
By Sanni Abdullahi
Former Governor of Kaduna State, His Excellency, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and his family have reportedly declined an offer of a federal government’s aircraft from the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR , to travel to Egypt to retrieve the body of El-Rufai’s mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai.
A Family member who did not wish to be named in this report disclosed that the El-Rufai family stated that they do not need the presidential aircraft at this time, as according to the source, they had already arranged their own private flight to bring the body back to Nigeria.
However, they expressed appreciation to the Presidential Villa for the gesture.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has paid a condolence visit to the former Kaduna State Governor at his residence in Abuja.
The visit today was to commiserate with El-Rufai over the passing of his mother who died on Friday, March 27, 2026, in Cairo, Egypt, after a period of illness.
The APC National Chairman had during the visit expressed his sympathies over the matriarch’s passing and also prayed that God grant the bereaved family the fortitude to bear the loss.
Recall that Mallam El-Rufai was arrested on February 18, 2026, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), shortly after being released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The anti-graft agency had detained him for two days over corruption allegations.
He was initially taken into custody by the Department of State Services (DSS) on February 16, 2026, after honoring an invitation from the EFCC regarding alleged financial improprieties during his tenure as Kaduna State Governor.
He was still in custody as at the time of his mother’s demise, awaiting court’s sitting for hearing on his bail application which was slated for March 31.
…Rights Lawyer, Inibehe Effiong questions his release
Reacting to El-Rufai’s release, a Rights lawyer and Activist, Inibehe Effiong, Esq., questions the federal government’s ‘show of compassion’, which he noted was done outside the due process of law.
Inibehe said “El-Rufai was arraigned and he pleaded not guilty to the charges. The ICPC is merely a custodial facility in respect of the order of remand.
As the prosecuting agency, the ICPC cannot operate outside the jurisdiction of the court.
The court is seised of the case. There is no longer allowance in law for administrative bail.
“The government cannot show compassion outside the due process of law. How many Nigerians who are facing prosecution have been shown similar compassion?
By releasing him, the government has prejudiced the bail application before the court, which is slated for hearing on 31st March, 2026.
This singular action lends credence to two facts, namely: (i) the government views their case against him as primarily political, (ii), Nigeria is a lawless country”.
