Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has denied misappropriating N423 billion in public funds, and accused National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu of directing the Department of State Services to arrest him without a warrant when he landed in Nigeria from Egypt.
El-Rufai made the statements on Arise News Prime Time on Friday.
“I have been in public service for a long time,” he said. “I was adviser to Abdulsalam Abubakar. I have been DG of BPE, minister of FCT, and Governor of Kaduna State. I swear to God I have never taken a penny I am not entitled to.”
That is a direct denial of the N423 billion misappropriation allegation. No formal charge or court finding has been made public against El-Rufai at this time. Africentra has not independently confirmed the basis of the allegation.
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El-Rufai said approximately 50 DSS operatives were deployed to detain him upon his arrival in Nigeria, acting on what he described as Ribadu’s direct instruction.
He said the operation was carried out without a warrant or any due process. Africentra has not independently confirmed the number of operatives deployed or whether a warrant was sought.
However, El-Rufai went further, claiming he received advance warning from a source who had access to intercepted phone calls, including calls made by Ribadu. He accused the Nigerian government of tapping and monitoring citizens’ communications without legal authorisation.
That is a serious allegation. No official response from Ribadu, the DSS, or the presidency had been issued at the time of publication.
While this story is developing. Africentra will update as official responses are issued.
