Nasir El-Rufai blasts operatives for targeting brother at mother’s funeral

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has alleged that security operatives plotted to arrest his elder brother, Bashir, during their mother’s funeral in an attempt to force the former governor into a legal negotiation.

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Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has raised an alarm over an alleged plot by security operatives to arrest his elder brother, Bashir El-Rufai, during the burial rites of their mother, Hajiya Umma El-Rufai. Speaking in a viral video following his temporary release from custody, the chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) claimed that Bashir was forced to remain in Cairo, Egypt, to avoid being used as a bargaining chip in his own ongoing legal battles. “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,” the former governor stated, suggesting that the move was a calculated attempt to leverage family pressure against him while he faces high-profile corruption charges

Hajiya Umma El-Rufai passed away in Cairo on Friday, March 27, and her remains were flown back to Abuja for burial at the Gudu Cemetery on Sunday. The bereavement occurred while Nasir El-Rufai was in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), where he has been detained over allegations of financial misconduct and money laundering totaling ₦432 billion. Although El-Rufai was granted a compassionate release by the anti-graft agency to attend the Janazah (funeral) prayers and interment, his brother’s absence became a focal point of discussion among the prominent political figures in attendance, including Vice President Kashim Shettima and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

The allegations of a “negotiation trap” come as the former governor prepares for a critical hearing at the Federal High Court in Kaduna. El-Rufai was arraigned on March 24 on a 10-count charge, and the court adjourned proceedings until today, March 31, 2026, to hear pending applications, including his formal request for bail. His legal team has characterized the ongoing detention and the alleged targeting of his family members as “unlawful and politically motivated.” As the court session resumes, the claims of a sibling arrest plot have added a fresh layer of tension to a case that has already become one of the most significant anti-corruption trials in Nigeria’s current political cycle.

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