The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condemned what it described as the prolonged detention of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, by Nigerian security agencies, demanding his immediate arraignment in court or unconditional release.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, and signed by its Executive Director, Ishaq Akintola, the group expressed concern over what it called a deliberate attempt to keep the former governor in custody without due process.
According to the statement, El-Rufai had voluntarily reported to the Abuja office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, February 16, 2026. Although he was reportedly released by the anti-graft agency on Wednesday, February 18, he was immediately taken into custody by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) the same day.
MURIC noted that media reports indicated that El-Rufai’s absence in court on Wednesday, February 25, was cited as the reason for his failure to be arraigned, a development the group described as untenable given that he remains in detention.
“A man who is in detention cannot be blamed for absence in court because he does not control his movement,” the statement read.
The group argued that the law prescribes a maximum detention period of 48 hours within which an accused person must be produced before a court of competent jurisdiction. It stressed that security agencies do not possess the constitutional authority to determine guilt, maintaining that such powers reside solely with the judiciary.
Invoking the principle of presumption of innocence, MURIC said global best practices require that every accused person be treated as innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
The organisation further called on the Federal Government to uphold democratic norms, including adherence to the rule of law, freedom of movement and freedom of speech, as enshrined in Sections 41 and 39 of the Nigerian Constitution.
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MURIC also raised concerns about what it described as negative political optics, noting that other opposition figures such as former Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, had similarly faced scrutiny.
“It is time to arraign El-Rufai or set him free,” the group declared.
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