Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, has secured a temporary release from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The release was granted so he could attend the funeral of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, who reportedly died in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday.

A spokesperson for the former governor confirmed that his release was granted as a compassionate gesture to allow El-Rufai to mourn with his family.

Reacting to the news via social media, the former governor's son, Bashir El-Rufai, announced on his X (formerly Twitter) handle that his father had been released from detention.

“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, which is a lame excuse of a pathetic institution. Thank you all for all the support. Our family shall never forget these times. We have overcome, as the El-Rufais,” he said. 

At the time of this report, the ICPC has not released a formal statement regarding the conditions of his release or the next steps in its investigation.

The former governor of Kaduna State is facing a series of high-profile legal cases involving accusations of financial crimes, money laundering, and national security breaches across multiple courts in Nigeria.

El-Rufai had been held in ICPC detention since February 18.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on March 24 formally prosecuted El-Rufai and co-defendant Joel Adoga at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.