El-Rufai Files ₦1 Billion Fundamental Rights Suit Against ICPC, Others Over Alleged Unlawful Invasion of Abuja Residence
Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has instituted a ₦1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and three others, accusing them of unlawfully invading and searching his Abuja home.
The suit, filed on February 20, 2026, at the Federal High Court in Abuja (case number: FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026), names the ICPC as the 1st respondent, the Chief Magistrate of the Magistrate’s Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as the 2nd respondent, the Inspector General of Police as the 3rd respondent, and the Attorney-General of the Federation as the 4th respondent.
According to the originating motion led by his counsel, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, the alleged unlawful action occurred on February 19, 2026, around 2:00 p.m., when ICPC operatives, accompanied by police officers, reportedly invaded El-Rufai’s residence at House 12, Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja.
The suit claims the search was carried out under a defective search warrant issued on February 4, 2026, by the Chief Magistrate. El-Rufai’s legal team argues that the warrant is invalid and null due to several flaws, including:
– Lack of specificity in describing items to be seized
– Typographical and material errors (e.g., in address, date, and district details)
– Ambiguity and overbreadth in execution parameters
– Absence of probable cause
These defects, they contend, violate provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 (Sections 143-148), the ICPC Act 2000 (Section 36), and fundamental rights enshrined in the 1999 Constitution specifically Sections 34 (dignity of the human person), 35 (personal liberty), 36 (fair hearing), and 37 (right to privacy).
During the operation, officers allegedly seized personal items, including documents and electronic devices (listed as Exhibit B in the supporting affidavit), without returning any. No inventory has been provided, and the seized materials have not been released.
El-Rufai is seeking several reliefs from the court, including:
– A declaration that the search warrant is invalid and the invasion/search unlawful
– A declaration that the action violated his fundamental rights
– An order directing the immediate return of all seized items, with a detailed inventory
– An injunction restraining the respondents from using any evidence obtained during the search
– ₦1 billion in damages: ₦300 million compensatory, ₦400 million exemplary, and ₦300 million aggravated
– ₦100 million for legal costs
The former governor claims the incident caused him significant psychological trauma, humiliation, distress, reputational damage, and emotional harm.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
