Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has alleged that security operatives planned to arrest his elder brother, Bashir, if he had returned to Nigeria for their mother’s burial.
El-Rufai claimed the move was intended to use his brother as leverage to compel him into negotiations amid his ongoing legal challenges.
In a video statement, the chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) said his brother deliberately stayed away from the burial to avoid arrest.
“My elder brother Bashir El-Rufai couldn’t make it because we learned that there is a plan to arrest him because they believe if they get him, I will negotiate,” he said.
Reports indicate that El-Rufai’s mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai, died in Cairo on Friday. Her remains were later flown to Abuja, where she was buried on Sunday.
Her death comes amid El-Rufai’s legal troubles, following his arrest and detention by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over allegations of corruption and money laundering.
The former governor was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Kaduna on March 24 on a 10-count charge. The case has been adjourned until March 31, 2026, for the hearing of pending applications, including his bail request.
He was, however, granted temporary release from ICPC custody to attend his mother’s burial.
