ABUJA – In a move that stunned onlookers at the Jabi headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, arrived for questioning accompanied by a Hilux vehicle overflowing with financial records.
The former governor’s arrival on Monday follows months of legal sparring and public allegations regarding the financial management of Kaduna State during his eight-year tenure. The documents, which sources say provide a “kobo-by-kobo” account of state revenue and expenditure from May 29, 2015, to May 29, 2023, were reportedly submitted to investigators as a definitive rebuttal to corruption claims.
The probe centers on a report by the Kaduna State House of Assembly Ad-hoc Committee, which accused the previous administration of misappropriating approximately ₦423.2 billion. The Assembly alleged that the funds were siphoned through inflated contracts, unrecorded loans, and questionable cash withdrawals.
“Mallam came prepared to prove that every naira is accounted for,” a close aide stated outside the commission’s gates. “He has always maintained that his administration was built on transparency, and today he has provided the evidence to back that up.”
The scene at the EFCC headquarters was charged, as hundreds of supporters gathered to cheer the former governor, while a smaller group of protesters demanded “full recovery” of the alleged missing funds. Security was tightened around the premises to prevent any clash between the opposing factions.
While the EFCC has yet to release an official statement regarding the duration of his interrogation, it is understood that investigators have begun the massive task of auditing the documents provided. El-Rufai’s legal team, led by Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN), remains confident that the records will exonerate the former governor and expose the “political nature” of the Assembly’s findings.
This development marks a significant escalation in the ongoing investigation into one of the most high-profile tenures in Nigeria’s recent political history.
