Ademola Busayo 
Nasir El-Rufai
The family of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, on Monday, raised the alarm after the Department of State Services, DSS, officials allegedly took him into custody following a court sitting at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to the family, the action was in apparent breach of existing court orders directing that he remain in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ICPC.
El-Rufai’s second wife, Hasiat, who addressed journalists outside the DSS facility, said the family was traumatized by the development and lived daily under the shadow of threats and surveillance.
“We now live in constant fear. Every day we get a threat — DSS is coming to raid your house, ICPC is coming to raid your house, police are coming to raid your house. You are being followed. Our phones are tapped,” she said.
She narrated that earlier in the day, el-Rufai had appeared before Justice Joyce AbdulMalik of the Federal High Court, who granted bail and stood the matter down until 1pm.
During the break, she said, he was briefly taken to the DSS facility — a move he resisted, insisting that two subsisting court orders from a Kaduna court directed that he be remanded with the ICPC.
I’m not furniture – El-Rufai
“He said to them, I am not going to step down because there are two court orders that the Kaduna court gave that I should be remanded in ICPC. Why are you bringing me here? He said, I am not a furniture to be moved,” she recounted.
She said he was subsequently returned to the ICPC, but that after the afternoon session — during which the prosecution sought an adjournment and the judge fixed a resumption for the following day — he was again brought to the DSS instead of being returned to ICPC custody.
“He was outside this country. He was invited by the ICPC, and he flew all the way from Cairo back to Nigeria to submit himself. We are calling for his immediate release. He deserves to be granted bail on the basis of self-recognition. What is happening is psychological harassment because of politics,” the senator said.
However, security sources confirmed to Vanguard that following a meeting among all the lawyers in the case, el-Rufai had been moved to the ICPC as of 5pm on Monday.
About the Author
Emmanuel Femi Adedayo 
Ayo Marvel 