Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has called on United States President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron to intervene in his continued detention, demanding a fair trial and respect for his fundamental human rights.

El-Rufai made the appeal in a post on his X handle on Friday, tagging both world leaders and urging them to pay attention to his ongoing legal challenges.

The former governor alleged that he was being persecuted for speaking truth to power, insisting that the right to a fair trial should not be treated as a favour or an act of mercy.

“Today, exactly 256 days El-Rufai is in detention. Human rights not a favour, a fair trial is not an act of mercy. It is not a privilege. It is a fundamental human right,” the post read.

His appeal comes days after the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed his no-case submission in the ongoing case involving allegations that he unlawfully intercepted the telephone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

El-Rufai is also facing an investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged money laundering involving N432 billion, following a petition by the Kaduna State House of Assembly.

The former governor has been in detention since February 18, although he was briefly released in March to attend his mother's funeral.

By appealing directly to Trump and Macron, El-Rufai has sought to draw international attention to his legal predicament, maintaining that his case should be handled in accordance with the principles of justice, due process and the right to a fair hearing.