Court Adjourns el-Rufai’s N1bn Fundamental Rights Suit Against ICPC

Proceedings in the N1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and others were stalled yesterday due to failure to serve the respondents.

The case, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, could not proceed when it was called, as only counsel to the former governor, Ubong Akpan, was present in court. Akpan informed the court that although the matter was scheduled for mention, the respondents had not yet been served.

He requested an adjournment to enable proper service, and the court subsequently fixed March 11 for further mention.

In the suit, el-Rufai is seeking N1 billion in damages and asking the court to declare invalid a search warrant issued on February 4, 2026, by a Chief Magistrate of the FCT. The warrant authorised a search of his Abuja residence. Those named as respondents include the ICPC, the Chief Magistrate of the FCT, the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Meanwhile, controversy has continued to trail the raid on his home. His wife, Hadiza el-Rufai, dismissed reports quoting the ICPC as saying wiretapping devices were recovered during the operation. In a post on X, she alleged that officials instead took her bank tokens.

“You forgot to mention that you also took away my bank tokens. I swear to God, they are not wiretapping equipment,” she wrote.

Her comments followed a statement by her son, Mohammed, who represents Kaduna North Federal Constituency. He described claims that “sophisticated tapping equipment” was recovered from the residence as false and politically motivated.

In court filings before the FCT High Court, the ICPC listed various documents and electronic devices allegedly recovered from the property, including flash drives, hard drives, laptops, mobile phones and other storage devices. The commission urged the court to dismiss the former governor’s suit.

The family, however, maintained that no specialised surveillance equipment was seized, insisting that the items taken were ordinary personal devices.

Separately, the Department of State Services (DSS) confirmed the arrest of five security personnel over alleged misconduct linked to el-Rufai’s return to Nigeria on February 12, 2026, through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The officers—drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, DSS, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Aviation Security (AVSEC)—were accused of accepting bribes to grant unauthorised access to restricted areas of the airport, thereby compromising security protocols.

According to a joint investigation by the DSS, NIS, Nigeria Customs Service and the Federal Ministry of Aviation, the five officers have been handed over to the ICPC for prosecution. Authorities added that other personnel who did not accept bribes but facilitated unauthorised access would face administrative sanctions.

The developments come amid broader legal and political disputes involving the former governor and federal authorities.