By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
ABUJA, NIGERIA – September 8, 2025:
A non-governmental organization, Transparency Honesty Disclosure Trust (THDT), has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), demanding a thorough investigation of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai over allegations of corruption, procurement fraud, and mismanagement of public funds during his eight-year tenure.
In the petition addressed to the EFCC Executive Chairman and dated Monday, September 8, 2025, THDT alleged that the administration of El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State between May 29, 2015, and May 29, 2023, was marked by financial recklessness and abuse of office that plunged the state into debt and worsened insecurity, unemployment, and underdevelopment.
The group anchored its claims on the Kaduna State House of Assembly’s ad-hoc committee report of June 6, 2024, which indicted the former governor and some of his aides for questionable transactions. According to the petition, the alleged irregularities ranged from inflated contracts and abandoned infrastructure projects to mismanagement of agricultural initiatives and diversion of foreign loans.
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Among the specific allegations listed were:
Procurement irregularities involving Ronchess Contractors, where contracts were allegedly inflated and later abandoned.
Diversion of ₦4.5 billion meant for farmers under the Central Bank’s Anchor Borrowers Scheme.
Mismanagement of the Rafin Sanyi Wheat Outgrowers Scheme and a failed ₦1.5 billion tree-planting campaign, where ₦500 million allegedly vanished.
School feeding programme fraud, with more than ₦10 billion reportedly misappropriated within the first eight months of El-Rufai’s administration.
Foreign loan scandals, including an unaccounted $6 million loan from the Indian EXIM Bank and €110 million from the French Development Agency for rail and BRT projects.
Alleged security surveillance scam, where ₦2.1 billion allocated for CCTV and drones was linked to the governor’s associates but with no evidence of installation.
THDT urged the EFCC to investigate El-Rufai and senior officials of his administration, including Jimi Lawal, a former Senior Counselor on Investments, and Muyiwa Adekeye, his former Special Adviser on Media. It further asked the Commission to recover funds misappropriated through fraudulent programs and ensure prosecution of those found culpable.
The petitioners warned that if the EFCC failed to act within five working days, they would consider the petition a pre-action notice and proceed with legal action against the anti-graft body for neglecting its statutory duties.
El-Rufai, however, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. In June 2024, he filed a lawsuit against the Kaduna State House of Assembly, arguing that its investigative process was biased and that he was not granted a fair hearing.
The controversy surrounding the former governor has drawn nationwide attention, with civil society groups and anti-corruption advocates insisting that the EFCC must act decisively to restore public confidence.
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If the petition gains traction, it could mark one of the most high-profile corruption cases involving a former governor in Nigeria since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
