The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) released Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, on Friday on compassionate grounds, TheCable understands.

Hajiya Umma, el-Rufai’s mother, died in Egypt on Friday, where she was receiving medical treatment.

Sources at the anti-graft agency told TheCable on Saturday morning that el-Rufai was released to enable him participate in the burial rites of his mother.

The ex-minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was taken into custody by the ICPC on February 19, after he was released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

On March 18, the ICPC said it secured a valid court order to detain el-Rufai amid calls for his release.

On Tuesday, el-Rufai was arraigned alongside Joel Adoga, his former aide, at the federal high court in Kaduna on charges of alleged money laundering, fraud, and abuse of office.

The former Kaduna governor and Adoga pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court subsequently adjourned his bail application to March 31.

‘ONLY THE COURT CAN ORDER EL-RUFAI’S RELEASE’

In a post on X on Saturday, Inibehe Effiong, a human rights lawyer, said the ICPC cannot release el-Rufai without the court’s approval.

“A person who is remanded by an order of a court cannot be released legally without recourse to the court,” he wrote.

“ICPC, can you clarify the procedure adopted in this case? El-Rufai’s motion for bail is slated for Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

“How was his release processed? Is this another government magic that the legendary Fela sang about?”