El-Rufai Appeals to Trump, Macron Over Continued Detention
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has appealed to United States President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron to intervene in his continued detention, insisting that his fundamental human rights must be respected.
El-Rufai made the appeal in a post on his official X account on Friday, where he called the attention of the two foreign leaders to his prolonged detention and the legal battles surrounding his case.
The former governor accused the authorities of targeting him for speaking against those in power.
He also questioned the circumstances surrounding his continued stay in custody, arguing that every citizen deserves access to justice, regardless of their political position or differences with the government.
In the post, El-Rufai highlighted the number of days he had spent in detention and called for international attention to his situation.
“Today, exactly 256 days El-Rufai is in detention. Human rights not a favour, a fair trial is not an act of mercy. It is not a privilege. It is a fundamental human right,” the post stated.
The former governor is seeking international attention and intervention in the legal proceedings against him.
However, there was no immediate indication that either president had responded to his appeal.
The latest appeal follows a series of court proceedings in Abuja and Kaduna, where the former governor is facing separate allegations involving financial misconduct and other offences linked to his time in office.
One of the cases concerns the alleged unlawful interception of telephone conversations involving Ribadu.
The Department of State Services (DSS) filed a five-count amended charge against El-Rufai over the matter.
The case followed comments he made during an interview on Arise Television in February 2026, where he reportedly disclosed that some individuals had listened to the National Security Adviser’s telephone conversations.
El-Rufai had explained that the alleged interception enabled him to hear Ribadu discussing arrangements for his arrest.
His comments subsequently became part of the issues examined in the criminal proceedings instituted against him.
The Federal Government, through the DSS, proceeded with the prosecution and presented two witnesses before closing its case.
The former governor’s legal team subsequently filed a no-case submission, asking the court to discharge him on the grounds that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient to require him to enter a defence.
However, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, rejected the application on October 26, 2026.
The judge held that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to warrant calling on El-Rufai to defend himself against the allegations.
Following the ruling, the court directed the former governor to open his defence and adjourned the matter until November 25, 2026, for the next stage of proceedings.
The decision means that El-Rufai will have to respond to the prosecution’s case as the trial continues.
It does not amount to a conviction, as the allegations are still before the court and he retains the right to defend himself.
His continued detention has also been a subject of legal arguments, particularly over his applications for bail in the separate financial misconduct cases being handled in Kaduna.
In October, the Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna dismissed his appeal challenging the refusal of bail by the Kaduna State High Court.
The three-member panel, in a unanimous judgment delivered on October 9, upheld the lower court’s decision, stating that the former governor failed to present fresh facts or special circumstances that would justify overturning the earlier ruling.
The appellate court affirmed the decision of the Kaduna State High Court, which had rejected his second bail application on June 10, 2026.
El-Rufai’s legal team had argued that the offences were bailable and that his continued detention could affect his ability to prepare adequately for trial.
The ICPC, however, opposed the application and maintained that the lower court acted within its powers when it refused bail.
The dismissal of the appeal left the former governor in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), where he has remained since February 18, 2026, apart from a temporary release to attend his mother’s funeral in March.
The ICPC had released him on compassionate grounds following the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, on March 27.
He was subsequently returned to custody after attending the burial activities.
The commission had also defended its handling of his detention, insisting that the remand orders authorising his custody were obtained through the courts.
In a statement issued in March, the anti-corruption agency explained that an initial 14-day remand order was granted to allow it to investigate allegations of money laundering and abuse of office.
It said a further 14-day extension was approved by the court on March 5.
The ICPC also maintained that El-Rufai remained in its lawful custody under the subsisting court order and urged the public to allow the legal process to take its course.
Beyond the phone interception case, the former governor is facing another major prosecution involving an alleged N8.68 billion CCTV surveillance contract awarded during his administration in Kaduna State.
The ICPC brought the case against El-Rufai, his former Senior Special Adviser and Counsellor, Jimi Adebisi Lawal, and five companies.
The commission alleged irregularities in the procurement and award of the surveillance contract for Kaduna metropolis.
The defendants are facing an amended 11-count charge bordering on alleged corruption, money laundering and related offences.
They have denied the allegations, which remain before the court.
The Federal High Court in Kaduna recently adjourned the substantive hearing in the case until December 8, 2026, following changes in the legal teams representing the prosecution and El-Rufai.
