Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State Governor, has appealed to international leaders, human rights organisations and global media outlets to intervene in his prolonged detention, insisting that he deserves a fair trial and access to justice.

El-Rufai appealed on Friday, October 30, marking his 256th day in detention, in a post on his X account in which he directly called the attention of United States President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron to his situation.

He also tagged the United Nations, UN Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, the European Union, African Union, White House, British government and several international media organisations, including CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, The New York Times and The Economist.

Under the hashtag #FairTrial, the former governor argued that a fair hearing was a fundamental human right that should not be treated as a favour or privilege.

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

The international appeal comes amid mounting legal challenges facing El-Rufai, whose detention has been prolonged by separate criminal investigations and court proceedings involving allegations of unlawful telephone interception, corruption and financial misconduct.

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

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in her ruling on October 26, held that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to require El-Rufai to enter his defence, if he wished.

The case followed an interview the former governor granted Arise Television in February, during which he spoke about an alleged interception of Ribadu’s telephone conversations.

The DSS subsequently charged him over the matter. El-Rufai denied the allegations, while the prosecution called two witnesses before closing its case.

His lawyers had urged the court to discharge him, arguing that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against him.

However, the court rejected the application and adjourned the matter until November 25 for the defence to begin.

Beyond the DSS case, El-Rufai is also facing separate corruption and financial misconduct proceedings instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over transactions and decisions taken during his eight-year administration of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023.

The ICPC announced in March that it had filed charges against the former governor before the Federal High Court and Kaduna State High Court.

The allegations include money laundering, conversion and possession of public property, abuse of office, fraud and conferring undue advantage.

The commission’s investigation is also linked to a petition by the Kaduna State House of Assembly alleging financial misconduct involving about N432bn during El-Rufai’s administration.

His detention began in February after he honoured an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), before he was subsequently transferred to the ICPC on February 18, 2026.

The ICPC said his detention was connected to investigations into allegations of money laundering and abuse of office, maintaining that the remand orders and subsequent extensions were authorised by a court.

El-Rufai was briefly released in March on compassionate grounds to attend the burial of his mother, Umma, who died while receiving medical treatment in Egypt. He subsequently returned to the commission’s custody.

Efforts by the former governor to secure bail have also suffered setbacks, with the Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna on October 9 dismissing his challenge against the refusal of his second bail application.

The three-member panel, in a unanimous judgment, held that he failed to establish fresh facts or special circumstances that would justify overturning the decision of the Kaduna State High Court.

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The appellate court consequently affirmed the lower court’s June 10 ruling refusing his bail application.

His lawyers had argued that the offences were bailable and that his continued detention was affecting his ability to prepare adequately for trial, particularly his access to legal representatives and witnesses.

The ICPC opposed the appeal, insisting that the lower court acted within the law in refusing the application.

El-Rufai, a prominent opposition figure and member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has repeatedly questioned the circumstances surrounding his arrest and prosecution, alleging that his ordeal is politically motivated.

He has maintained that he is willing to answer allegations against him through judicial proceedings but has continued to challenge what he considers prolonged detention.

The ICPC, however, has defended its actions, insisting that its investigations and detention procedures comply with the law and that the allegations should be determined through the courts.

His latest appeal to international institutions adds a diplomatic and human rights dimension to the legal battles, although the intervention he seeks does not alter the ongoing judicial proceedings or determine the outcome of the cases against him.