The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has released former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, following the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma el-Rufai.

The development was confirmed on Friday by his son, Bashir el-Rufai, who said the anti-corruption agency granted the release shortly after the family announced the matriarch’s passing.

Although the circumstances surrounding el-Rufai’s detention were not made public, his release is believed to have been approved on humanitarian grounds in light of the bereavement.

Hajiya Umma, who had been battling age-related health issues, died earlier on Friday. Her passing has drawn condolences from political associates, family friends and sympathisers across the country.

El-Rufai, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and two-term governor of Kaduna State, has since reunited with his family to observe burial rites and receive visitors in line with Islamic traditions.

The ICPC is yet to issue an official statement detailing the terms or duration of his release, though sources suggest the commission considered the family’s loss significant enough to allow temporary freedom.