Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, spent a second night in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Thursday, amid protests by his legal team over the search of his residence.

El-Rufai was initially detained on Monday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and released late Wednesday, only to be immediately taken into ICPC custody, where he remains. Prior to his detention, El-Rufai, through his lawyers, had indicated his willingness to honour an ICPC invitation scheduled for Tuesday.

The developments follow an earlier incident at the airport where the Department of State Services (DSS) reportedly seized his passport.

An ICPC official confirmed on Thursday night that El-Rufai was still with the commission but declined to provide details of the ongoing investigation. “He is still very much with us. I can’t say the offence he is being investigated for,” the source said.

Unverified reports suggest the investigation may be linked to the failed N11.1 billion Joint Venture Kaduna Light Rail project, but attempts to independently confirm this were unsuccessful. The ICPC’s spokesman, John Odey, did not respond to repeated calls and messages.

Meanwhile, El-Rufai’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, reported on X that ICPC operatives had conducted a search of the former governor’s residence on Aso Drive, Abuja. He added that El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, condemned the action as unlawful and a violation of due process and fundamental rights.

“The Aso Drive residence of Malam Nasir @elrufai was today searched by the ICPC. Ubong Akpan, Malam El-Rufai’s lawyer, condemned the action as unlawful and a clear violation of legal procedures and fundamental rights,” Adekeye wrote.