The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has raised fresh concerns about the relationship between politics, the administration of justice and the fight against corruption in Nigeria, using the ongoing legal case involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai as an example.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television in Lagos on September 28, 2026, at the public presentation of Unexplained Wealth: A Trilogy of Nigerian Financial Law, Sanusi argued that Nigeria’s challenge is not necessarily the absence of laws or institutions, but the manner in which those laws and institutions are sometimes applied.
Sanusi noted that Nigeria already has institutions responsible for identifying, investigating and prosecuting corruption, while the courts are empowered to determine the cases brought before them. However, he questioned whether political considerations sometimes influence the way certain corruption cases are pursued or discontinued.
> “You have institutions that are supposed to identify corrupt people and prosecute them. You have courts that are supposed to do it.”
According to the Emir, there have been cases in which individuals facing corruption allegations eventually had their cases dropped because of their political environment or the support they enjoyed. He said such situations can create public doubts about whether anti-corruption proceedings are genuinely focused on accountability or are being influenced by political battles.
Sanusi specifically referenced his “brother” Nasir El-Rufai, the former Kaduna governor, whose ongoing legal troubles have generated considerable public debate.
He said: “An example is my brother Nasir El-Rufai who’s been denied bail. He’s been in detention for seven months, not having been convicted for anything using the courts.” He subsequently asked whether such circumstances represented a genuine fight against corruption or a political battle.
El-Rufai has been facing corruption-related proceedings brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The commission has filed amended charges alleging corruption, money laundering and related offences, including allegations surrounding an approximately ₦8.68 billion CCTV contract awarded during his tenure as Kaduna governor. El-Rufai and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The former governor has also challenged aspects of his detention and prosecution, with his legal team alleging political persecution and abuse of legal processes. The ICPC, however, has consistently maintained that its actions are grounded in lawful investigations and court orders. In an earlier statement, the commission said El-Rufai's detention had been authorised by the courts and that it was acting within the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
The legal dispute has continued beyond the criminal proceedings. In the latest development, a Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned El-Rufai’s ₦1 billion fundamental-rights suit against the ICPC, Inspector-General of Police and Attorney-General of the Federation to October 27, 2026. The suit challenges aspects of his detention and the search of his residence.
Sanusi’s intervention therefore places the broader issue of institutional independence and equal application of the law back in the public spotlight.
He stressed that reviewing Nigeria’s laws is important, but argued that legislation alone cannot solve the problem if the institutions responsible for enforcing those laws do not operate impartially and consistently.
His central warning was blunt: “Otherwise anyone knows that you can get away with anything if you have the right political connections.”
While Sanusi did not determine El-Rufai’s legal guilt or innocence, his comments highlight a fundamental question at the heart of the controversy: whether Nigeria’s anti-corruption institutions can command public confidence by ensuring that investigations and prosecutions are conducted consistently, transparently and independently of political considerations.
For now, the allegations against El-Rufai remain matters before the courts, where the evidence and legal arguments will ultimately be tested. Sanusi’s remarks, however, have added another prominent voice to the ongoing national conversation about corruption, political influence, due process and the credibility of Nigeria’s justice system.
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