COURT ADJOURNS HEARING IN EL-RUFAI’S N1BN SUIT AGAINST ICPC TO MARCH 25
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By: Fasasi Hammad
The Federal High Court of Nigeria sitting in Abuja on Wednesday adjourned a 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 four others until March 25 for hearing. ⚖️
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik postponed the matter to enable the parties involved to regularise their court processes.
El-Rufai is seeking N1 billion in damages in the suit against the ICPC, the Chief Magistrate of the Magistrate’s Court of the FCT, the Inspector General of Police, and the Attorney General of the Federation, listed as the first to fourth respondents.
When the case was called, El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, told the court that the matter had been scheduled for hearing. However, he explained that while the applicant had responded to the ICPC’s counter-affidavit, a reply to the police’s submission was yet to be filed.
Counsel for the ICPC, Abdulsufiano Abubakar, and the police lawyer, Ezekiel Rimamsomte, confirmed this position. Following the submissions, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case until March 25 for hearing.
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The court also directed that hearing notices be issued and served on the second respondent (the Chief Magistrate) and the fourth respondent (the Attorney-General of the Federation), who were not represented in court.
In the originating motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, filed on February 20 by Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, El-Rufai is seeking seven reliefs from the court.
He asked the court to declare that the invasion and search of his residence at House 12, Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja, on February 19 around 2 p.m. by ICPC operatives and police officers constituted a violation of his fundamental rights. According to him, the action breached his rights to dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy as guaranteed under Sections 34, 35, 36, and 37 of the Constitution.
The former governor also requested the court to rule that any evidence obtained during the search should be considered inadmissible in any proceedings against him, arguing that it was gathered in breach of constitutional safeguards.
He further sought an injunction restraining the respondents and their agents from relying on or presenting any items seized during the search in any investigation or prosecution involving him. In addition, he asked the court to compel the ICPC and the police to immediately return all items taken from his residence along with a detailed inventory.
El-Rufai is also demanding N1 billion as general, exemplary, and aggravated damages.
In its counter-affidavit, however, the ICPC stated that it acted on a petition filed against the former governor, which prompted an investigation and the subsequent search of his residence.
The commission maintained that its operatives carried out the search with a valid warrant issued on February 18 and executed the following day between 1:37 p.m. and 3:56 p.m. at the Asokoro residence.
According to the anti-corruption agency, the operation was conducted alongside officers of the Nigeria Police Force and was witnessed by El-Rufai’s wife, Hadiza El-Rufai, and his son, Mohammed El-Rufai.
The ICPC therefore urged the court to dismiss the suit.
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