El-Rufai was temporarily released from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on Saturday March 28, 2026, following the death of his mother Hajiya Umma El-Rufai in Cairo, Egypt, after battling age related health challenges.
The release was granted on compassionate grounds to allow the former governor attend the funeral rites of his late mother, whose remains are expected to be flown back to Nigeria on Saturday.
El-Rufai’s son Bashir confirmed the development on X writing, “Alhamdulillah. My beloved great legend of a father is being released from his unlawful and illegal detention at the hands of one of the most corrupt agencies in the Federal Republic of Nigeria that is a lame excuse of a pathetic institution. Thank you all for all the support. Our family shall never forget these times. We have overcome, as the El-Rufais always do.”
The death was announced earlier on Friday by another grandson, Bello El-Rufai. “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. From Allah SWT we came and to Him we shall all return. I would like to inform the public of the demise of my Grandmother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai who passed away a few hours ago. She is the biological mother of our father, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. We are grateful for the life she lived and may Allah SWT bless her gentle soul,” he wrote.
However the story has been complicated by subsequent developments. Bashir El-Rufai’s post announcing his father’s release was later deleted and when contacted for confirmation, ICPC spokesperson John Odey declined to respond to calls and did not reply to messages sent via WhatsApp.
The ICPC has issued no official statement on the terms, conditions or duration of the release as of the time of this report.
An ally of El-Rufai confirmed his release to Daily Trust but did not go into details. An aide to the former governor separately confirmed the release was approved on compassionate grounds following the family’s bereavement.
The former governor has been in ICPC custody since February 18, 2026 totaling a period of 38 days.
