The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has urged President Bola Tinubu and Nigerian authorities to either release former Kaduna State governor Nasir El‑Rufai or formally charge him in court, saying that the law and due process must be respected.
El-Rufai has been in detention following his arrest, sparking a major legal and political debate across the country.
The Sultan made the call amid growing public concern over El‑Rufai’s continued detention.
El‑Rufai was taken into custody earlier this year and has been held by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission as investigations continue into alleged corruption and related offences.
The Sultan said that if there is enough evidence, El‑Rufai should be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction and granted bail while investigations continue. He stressed that suspects should not be held indefinitely without formal charges.
In the same message, the Sultan also questioned the expanding presence of United States military personnel in Northern Nigeria.
He asked authorities to clearly explain the role of the US troops and whether they will be limited to training Nigerian security forces or if a permanent military base is planned for the region. The Sultan expressed concern over the lack of transparency about the foreign deployment and what it might mean for Nigeria’s sovereignty and security.
His comments came as public debate continues over both El‑Rufai’s detention and broader security cooperation with foreign partners in the country’s northern region
