Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has rejected claims linking him to the reported attack on the home of a key witness in an ongoing legal matter involving him.
He was reacting to a report titled “El-Rufai’s trial: Gunmen invade principal witness home,” which cited one Mohammed Umar Karage as alleging that armed men stormed his residence.
The witness reportedly suggested that the incident could be tied to his involvement in corruption charges against the former governor.
In response, El-Rufai’s camp dismissed the publication as containing “innuendos” intended to associate him with the incident, maintaining that he had “no connection whatsoever” to the alleged attack.
A statement issued on Sunday by his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, distanced the former governor from the claims contained in the April 18 report.
The statement said: “Any objective reader would recognise the clear intent behind these statements: to smear Malam Nasir El-Rufai’s reputation, jeopardise his pending bail application at the Kaduna State High Court, and implicate him in serious capital offences.
“The evident objective is to secure his indefinite detention through these reprehensible tactics. Such conduct is unacceptable, particularly toward a citizen who has made substantial contributions to our country.
“Malam Nasir El-Rufai is an upstanding and law-abiding citizen who has no connection whatsoever to the incidents described in The Nation’s publication.”
El-Rufai is currently facing charges before two separate high courts following his detention by anti-corruption authorities.
He was first invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 16, 2026, before being transferred to the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) two days later.
Adekeye further disclosed that the former governor had earlier encountered what he described as an “unwarranted attempt” to arrest him upon his arrival at Abuja Airport from Cairo on February 12, suggesting a pattern of “malicious orchestrations.”
He added that El-Rufai remains in custody and has been arraigned on multiple counts, including allegations relating to the unlawful revocation and reallocation of land.
The statement also criticised efforts to connect the alleged attack with the disappearance of Kaduna-based activist Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, describing such claims as an attempt to deepen suspicion against the former governor.
“It is one thing for a citizen to report a crime; it is another to publish false imputations against others,” the statement said.
It stressed that such claims were capable of prejudicing judicial processes and damaging reputations.
El-Rufai’s camp reiterated that he is a law-abiding citizen and maintained that he had no role in the alleged invasion of the witness’s residence.
The statement further alleged that since 2023, the former governor has been subjected to a sustained campaign of “vilification and innuendos,” despite his record in public service and national development.
It also called for strict adherence to due process, warning against the misuse of legal and media channels as instruments of oppression.
“The rule of law must never be perverted into a tool of oppression. Legal processes should serve the ends of justice, not be employed to deny a citizen his fundamental right to liberty while he stands trial,” the statement added.
El-Rufai’s camp urged that he be granted his full constitutional rights, including fair hearing and due process, as legal proceedings continue.
