El-Rufai drags ICPC to court, seeks N1b for rights violation

:

Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has filed a ₦1Billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the (ICPC) and three others over the alleged unlawful invasion and search of his Abuja residence.

 The suit was filed on February 20, 2026, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026.

Joined in the suit as respondents are the Chief Magistrate of the Magistrate’s Court of the Federal Capital Territory, the Inspector General of Police, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice,Prince Lateef  Fagbemi,  SAN .

El-Rufai, through his counsel, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, is challenging the legality of a search carried out at his residence on February 19, 2026, by ICPC operatives accompanied by Police officers.

According to court documents, the search was allegedly conducted pursuant to a warrant issued on February 4, 2026, by the Chief Magistrate.

However, El-Rufai’s legal team contends that the warrant was defective, citing lack of specificity in the items to be seized, typographical and material errors in the address and dates, ambiguity in execution parameters, and absence of probable cause.

The former governor argues that the action contravened provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, the ICPC Act 2000, and sections 34, 35, 36, and 37 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, and right to privacy.

He further alleged that officers seized personal documents and electronic devices during the operation without providing an inventory or returning the items.

El-Rufai is seeking declarations that the warrant and subsequent search were unlawful, an order for the immediate return of all seized materials with a detailed inventory, and an injunction restraining the use of any evidence obtained from the search.

He is also demanding ₦1 billion in damages—₦300 million compensatory, ₦400 million exemplary, and ₦300 million aggravated—alongside ₦100 million in legal costs, citing psychological trauma, reputational damage, and emotional distress.