Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has raised concerns over his continued detention, marking 256 days in custody while insisting on his entitlement to a fair trial.
El-Rufai made the demand in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, appealing to international human rights organisations, foreign governments, and global media outlets to intervene in his case.
Using the hashtag #FairTrial, the former governor argued that access to justice is a fundamental human right rather than a privilege or an act of mercy.
“Today marks exactly 256 days in detention,” the post read, adding, “A fair trial is not an act of mercy. It is not a privilege. It is a fundamental human right.”
The post tagged several international bodies and figures, including the United Nations, the UN Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, the UK Prime Minister’s Office, the European Parliament, and the African Union.
He also tagged major international news organisations—including CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, *The New York Times*, *The Economist*, France 24, and *The Washington Post*—in an apparent bid to draw global scrutiny to his detention.
El-Rufai has been in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) since his arrest in February 2026, amid investigations into alleged financial misconduct during his tenure in Kaduna State.
The ICPC previously informed a court that it was probing corruption allegations involving El-Rufai and officials of his administration between 2015 and 2023. The commission subsequently filed criminal charges against him over an ₦8.68 billion Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance contract awarded during his administration.
El-Rufai and his co-defendants have denied the allegations, which are currently before the courts.
In addition to the ICPC case, he faces separate prosecution by the State Security Service (SSS) at the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged unlawful interception of telephone communications involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
In October 2026, the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal challenging a lower court’s refusal to grant him bail in the Kaduna corruption case.
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed December 2 for judgment in a ₦1 billion fundamental rights suit filed by El-Rufai against the ICPC, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Attorney-General of the Federation. The suit stems from a February raid on his Abuja residence, which he contends violated his fundamental rights.
El-Rufai concluded his social media statement with the hashtags #FairTrial, #HumanRights, #JusticeForAll, and #FreeElrufai256DaysDetention.
