El-Rufai’s son announces father’s release — then deletes tweet

Bashir, son of Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, announced his father’s release from detention of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), but deleted the statement some minutes later. 

Earlier on Friday,  el-Rufai’s family announced the death of Hajiya Umma, the former governor’s mother, who reportedly died in Egypt she had been receiving medical treatment.

However, hours after the announcement, Bashir took to his X page to announce the release of his father from ICPC detention.

“Alhamdulillah. My beloved great legend of a father (@elrufai) is being released from his unlawful & illegal detention at the hands of one of the most corrupt agencies in the Federal Republic of Nigeria that is a lame excuse of a pathetic institution.

“Thank you all for all the support. Our family shall never forget these times. We have overcome, as the El-Rufai’s always do,” he wrote in a now deleted post.

He posted the statement at exactly 9:56pm, and it had gained over 33,000 views before it was deleted.

Below is a screenshot of the tweet.

On Tuesday, el-Rufai was arraigned alongside one Joel Adoga at the federal high court in Kaduna over charges bordering on alleged money laundering, fraud, and abuse of office.

The former Kaduna governor and Adoga pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court had adjourned his bail application to March 31.

El-Rufai has been in the custody of the ICPC since February 19 after he was released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He returned to Nigeria from Egypt on February 12. (TheCable)