DSS Detains Former Governor Nasir El-Rufai

On 1 April 2026, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) took Nasir El-Rufai, who served as governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023, into custody shortly after a hearing at the Federal High Court in Kaduna. El-Rufai was standing trial over corruption-related allegations and had just concluded arguments on a bail application when he was escorted to a waiting vehicle, reportedly bound for Abuja. The court fixed 14 April 2026 for its ruling on the bail application.

The detention deepened a protracted standoff between El-Rufai, who had become a prominent opposition figure ahead of the 2027 general elections, and the federal authorities. In the weeks that followed he was arraigned on amended charges, and his continued detention despite ongoing court proceedings drew objections from his family and legal team, keeping the case in national headlines.