- El-Rufai is seeking ₦1 billion in damages for what he described as an unlawful search and violation of his rights
- According to him, the operation violated his constitutional rights, including his rights to dignity
- Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter to June 17 for further hearing
The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled June 17 to hear a ₦1 billion fundamental rights suit filed by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over an alleged unlawful search of his residence.
El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023 and previously served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under Olusegun Obasanjo, is challenging the validity of the search warrant used by the ICPC to raid his Abuja home, Eko Hot Blog gathered.
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In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, the former governor argued that the warrant issued on February 4 by a magistrate court in the FCT was legally flawed and should be declared null and void. He claimed the document contained drafting errors, lacked clarity, was overly broad, and was not supported by sufficient legal grounds.
According to him, the operation violated his constitutional rights, including his rights to dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
During proceedings on Tuesday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik approved an application to remove the magistrate initially listed as a defendant in the case. Counsel to El-Rufai explained that the specific judicial officer responsible for issuing the warrant was not clearly identified in the suit.
Lawyers representing the police, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the ICPC did not oppose the request, leading the court to strike out the magistrate’s name.
However, counsel to the ICPC, Abdul Mohammed (SAN), objected, arguing that removing the magistrate could weaken the case since the disputed warrant formed the basis of the claims. The court dismissed the objection, stating that the anti-graft agency could respond through its filings.
El-Rufai is seeking ₦1 billion in damages for what he described as an unlawful search and violation of his rights. He also asked the court to rule that any evidence obtained during the operation should not be admissible in future legal proceedings.
Additionally, he requested an order directing the ICPC and the Inspector-General of Police to return all items taken from his residence during the search.
The ICPC had earlier obtained court approval to examine about 14 electronic devices reportedly seized from the property, including phones, storage devices, flash drives, and a laptop.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter to June 17 for further hearing.
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