By Taibat Ummi Yakubu

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has appealed to United States President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and other international leaders to intervene by drawing attention to his continued detention, insisting that he deserves a fair trial.

El-Rufai made the appeal in a post on his X account on Friday, marking his 256th day in detention. He called on international human rights organisations, foreign governments and global media outlets to monitor his situation and pay attention to what he described as his right to justice.

Emphasising his position, the former governor declared that a fair hearing was a fundamental human right and not a favour that authorities could choose to grant or withhold.

“A fair trial is not an act of mercy. It is not a privilege. It is a fundamental human right,” he wrote.

Under the hashtag #FairTrial, El-Rufai directly tagged Trump, Macron, the United Nations, the UN Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, the European Union and the African Union.

He also mentioned the White House, the British government, the UK Parliament and major international media organisations, including CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, The New York Times and The Economist, in an apparent effort to attract international attention to his legal battles.

His appeal comes days after a Federal High Court in Abuja rejected his no-case submission in a criminal case filed against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the alleged unlawful interception of telephone communications involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

In its ruling on Monday, October 26, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik held that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to require El-Rufai to open his defence if he wished to challenge the allegations.

The case followed an interview the former governor granted Arise Television in February, during which he spoke about the alleged interception of Ribadu's telephone conversations. The DSS subsequently charged him, an allegation he denied.

After calling two witnesses and closing its case, the prosecution opposed El-Rufai's request to be discharged without entering a defence. His legal team had argued that the evidence presented was insufficient to establish a prima facie case against him.

The court dismissed the application and fixed November 25 for the next stage of proceedings.

However, the DSS case is only one part of the former governor's growing legal troubles. He is also facing separate corruption and financial misconduct allegations brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over activities during his eight-year administration of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023.

The ICPC announced in March that it had filed charges against him before the Federal High Court and the Kaduna State High Court. The allegations include money laundering, abuse of office, fraud, conversion and possession of public property, as well as conferring undue advantage.

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The investigations were also linked to a petition by the Kaduna State House of Assembly, which raised allegations of financial misconduct involving approximately ₦432 billion during his administration.

El-Rufai was initially taken into the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in February after honouring an invitation. He was subsequently transferred to the ICPC on February 18, 2026, over allegations of money laundering and abuse of office.

The commission maintained that his detention was backed by court orders, including the initial remand and its subsequent extension.

In March, he was temporarily released on compassionate grounds to attend the burial of his mother, Hajiya Umma, who died while receiving medical treatment in Egypt. He later returned to the commission's custody.

His attempts to secure bail have also suffered setbacks. On October 9, the Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna dismissed his challenge against the refusal of his second bail application by the Kaduna State High Court.

The three-member appellate panel unanimously ruled that he had failed to present fresh facts or special circumstances that would justify overturning the lower court's decision.

The ruling consequently upheld the Kaduna State High Court's June 10 decision denying him bail.

El-Rufai's lawyers had argued that the offences were bailable and that his continued detention was making it difficult for him to prepare his defence, particularly in accessing his lawyers and potential witnesses. The ICPC opposed the appeal, maintaining that the lower court acted within the law.

The former governor, who remains a prominent member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has repeatedly questioned the circumstances surrounding his arrest and investigation, alleging that his ordeal is politically motivated.

He has maintained that he is willing to answer the allegations against him through the courts but has continued to challenge the circumstances and duration of his detention.

The ICPC, however, has defended its investigation, insisting that its actions were lawful and that the allegations against the former governor should be determined through the judicial process.