The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Nigeria says it has found various high-value real estate holdings in Egypt that are said to be linked to former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai. This is part of an ongoing probe into his government.
According to those who know about the inquiry, the properties—luxury villas and apartments in upmarket neighborhoods of Cairo—were found during the anti-corruption agency’s investigation of El-Rufai’s eight years as governor from 2015 to 2023.
Properties in the Best Areas of Cairo
It is alleged that investigators have linked six real estate assets to the former governor. These comprise three villas and six apartments in New Cairo’s most elite neighborhoods.
The qualities that have been found are:
Villa 113 in the Fifth Settlement Area of Arabilla Estate in New Cairo
Villa 18 is in the First Settlement Area of New Cairo’s Banafsik Estate.
Villa 11 is close to the American University in Cairo at Oriana II Estate.
Four flats in Cairo Festival City: 514, 515, 516, and 517
Oriana Estate in New Cairo has two flats, Nos. 4000 and 4100.
Real estate listings show that villas in the Arabilla and Banafsik estates usually sell for between $1 million and $1.3 million. Apartments in Cairo Festival City are for about $500,000 each.
Sources suggest that the homes were bought between 2021 and 2023, when El-Rufai was still the governor of Kaduna State.
Previous Comments on Owning Property
El-Rufai said in a 2023 Hausa interview that he only had one house, denying accusations that he had bought other expensive homes.
He maintained at the time that his own home was on Danja Street in Unguwan Sarki, Kaduna, and he insisted that he had not utilized government money to build mansions or buy property abroad.
“I became governor with only one house, and that is still my only house.” He reportedly responded, “I didn’t build a mansion, and I don’t need one.”
Ongoing Investigations and Holding
The ICPC is looking into the former governor for possible financial wrongdoing while he was in office. Since his detention on February 18, El-Rufai has been in the commission’s custody.
Investigators reportedly found wiretapping equipment during a search of his home in Abuja on February 19. This added another layer to the current investigation.
Before the ICPC arrested El-Rufai, the Department of State Services (DSS) had also questioned him about reports that the phone of Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, had been tapped.
The DSS then charged him with three counts of illegally listening in on the NSA’s phone calls.
The former governor had already spent two nights in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters after coming to Nigeria from Cairo on February 12.
Allegations Against the Kaduna Assembly
The present probe comes after the Kaduna State House of Assembly accused El-Rufai in 2024 of stealing N423 billion in public monies and maybe laundering money.
The lawmakers asked anti-corruption groups to look into the claims very carefully.
El-Rufai Questions the Investigation
El-Rufai has said he did nothing wrong and that the investigation is politically motivated.
He has sued the ICPC, saying that the agency broke the law by breaking into his home in Abuja and breaching his basic rights.
In the lawsuit, he sought the court to say that the ICPC and the Nigeria Police Force’s search and seizure were illegal and to stop investigators from using any evidence they found during the investigation.
He is also asking for N1 billion in damages for what he called trespassing, taking property without permission, and hurting his name.
Possible More Legal Action
The ex-governor has also accused the ICPC of lying and forgery. His lawyers sent a pre-action notice saying that the agency used fake documents to arrest him.
His family has called for his immediate release, saying that there is no legal reason for him to be held any longer.
El-Rufai said that the investigation is linked to his political ties to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which he calls Nigeria’s largest opposition party.
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