El-Rufai Marks 256 Days in Detention, Tags UN, Trump, Macron in Fair Trial Appeal

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has called on United States President Donald Trump, the United Kingdom Prime Minister’s Office and other international institutions to draw attention to his continued detention, declaring that he is entitled to a fair trial.

El-Rufai made the appeal in a post on his verified X account on Friday, marking what he described as his 256th day in detention.

In the post, the former governor tagged Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, the United Nations, the UN Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, the European Parliament and the African Union.

He also mentioned the UK Prime Minister’s Office, the UK Parliament and international media organisations, including CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, The New York Times and The Economist.

“Today, exactly 256 days @elrufai in detention. Human rights not a favour. A fair trial is not an act of mercy. It is not a privilege. It is a fundamental human right,” he wrote.

The appeal comes amid ongoing legal proceedings involving the former governor and Nigerian security and anti-corruption agencies.

On October 26, the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed El-Rufai’s no-case submission in a criminal trial instituted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations relating to the unlawful interception of telephone communications involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The court ruled that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence for him to enter his defence. El-Rufai has denied the allegations.

He is also facing separate corruption and financial misconduct allegations being investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), following a petition by the Kaduna State House of Assembly concerning transactions during his administration between 2015 and 2023.

The former governor has remained in ICPC custody since February, although he was briefly released in March to attend his mother’s funeral.

His bail applications have faced legal setbacks, including an October ruling by the Court of Appeal dismissing his challenge to the denial of bail in the Kaduna-related case.

El-Rufai has maintained that his rights must be respected as the legal proceedings continue. The allegations against him remain subject to determination by the courts.