Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has alleged that security operatives plotted to arrest his elder brother, Bashir El-Rufai, if he had returned to Nigeria for their mother’s burial.
El-Rufai, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the claim in a video, stating that the move was intended to pressure him into negotiations.
“My elder brother Bashir El-Rufai couldn’t make it because we learned that there is a plan to arrest him. They believe if they get him, I will negotiate,” he said.
The development comes amid a period of personal loss for the former governor, following the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, who passed away in Cairo, Egypt, and was buried in Abuja on Sunday.
The incident also coincides with El-Rufai’s ongoing legal troubles. He was recently arrested and detained by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission over allegations of corruption and money laundering.
He was subsequently arraigned before the Federal High Court in Kaduna on March 24 on a 10-count charge, with the case adjourned to March 31, 2026, for hearing of pending applications, including his bail request.
Despite his detention, El-Rufai was granted temporary release from ICPC custody to attend his mother’s burial.
The allegations of a planned arrest have added a new dimension to the unfolding legal and political developments surrounding the former governor.
