Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai has
accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences
Commission (ICPC) of unlawful detention and abuse of court process,
following his continued detention over alleged financial crimes.
In a strongly worded protest letter dated March 6,
2026, El-Rufai’s legal team, led by Abuja-based lawyer Ubong Esop Akpan,
alleged that the anti-corruption agency misrepresented facts before the court
and violated legal procedures in obtaining a remand order.
The letter, which was also copied to the Chief Judge
of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, the FCT High Court, and the
Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, claimed that the ICPC
secured the remand order from a magistrate court in Bwari on February
19, 2026.
The order reportedly allowed the commission to detain
the former governor for 14 days while investigating allegations including money
laundering.
However, El-Rufai’s lawyers argued that the remand
order was improperly obtained because money laundering cases fall under the
exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, not a magistrate court. They
alleged that the commission deliberately approached a lower court to obtain a
detention order that a court of proper jurisdiction might not have granted.
The legal team also stated that the remand order was
never served on either El-Rufai or his lawyers, describing the alleged omission
as a violation of his constitutional right to a fair hearing.
In response, El-Rufai has filed a fundamental rights
enforcement suit before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory
in Abuja, seeking to stop any further attempts to extend the detention
order.
The suit lists the ICPC, the Chief Magistrate of the
Bwari Magistrate Court, and the Attorney-General of the Federation as
respondents.
Through the lawsuit, his lawyers are asking the court
to declare his detention unlawful and prevent authorities from further
detaining him without formally charging him before a competent court.
The legal team also accused ICPC officials of forum
shopping, fraudulent misrepresentation, and unlawful detention. They further
alleged that sworn statements made by the commission were breached after it
failed to file charges against their client once the initial 14-day remand
period expired.
Additionally, the lawyers warned that they may file
complaints before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee against
lawyers involved in the case and could petition law enforcement authorities to
investigate possible perjury related to affidavits filed in court.
El-Rufai’s legal team is demanding his immediate
release, the withdrawal of the commission’s request to extend the detention,
and a public apology. They also indicated that their client plans to seek ?2
billion in damages from the ICPC and its officials over alleged violations
of his fundamental rights.
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