The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned a legal case brought by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), along with the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF). The case, which involves a claimed violation of fundamental rights, is now scheduled for a definite hearing on October 27, 2026.
The adjournment was announced by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik to provide El-Rufai’s legal representative, Akinyemi Aremu, with time to respond to a counter affidavit submitted by the AGF. During the proceedings, Aremu mentioned that the case was set for hearing. However, AGF’s counsel, Maimuna Lami-Shiru, requested the court’s permission to move a motion aimed at legitimizing their counter affidavit filing. El-Rufai’s lawyer and representatives from the ICPC and IGP did not raise any objections, leading to the judge granting the request.
El-Rufai previously filed a suit demanding N1 billion in damages due to what he claims was an illegal search of his residence on February 19, 2026. Originally, he included a Chief Magistrate in the suit but later removed that individual’s name following guidance from the judge regarding the magistrate’s identification.
In his motion, El-Rufai alleges that the search operation, conducted under the authority of a warrant, severely infringed upon several rights enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution. He contends that evidence obtained during the search should be inadmissible in any legal proceedings against him. The ICPC has defended its actions, asserting they were responding to a petition against El-Rufai and acted under a valid warrant, with the operation occurring in the presence of El-Rufai’s family members.
The police have also countered El-Rufai’s claims, stating their authority allows them to carry out such investigations and searches according to the law.
