Court Dismisses El-Rufai's N1bn Suit Against ICPC

On Wednesday, a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, dismissed a N1 billion 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 other parties. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2023 and filed on February 20, 2023, challenged the legality of a search conducted at El-Rufai's residence on February 19, 2023.

El-Rufai claimed the search violated his fundamental rights, including dignity, privacy, and fair hearing. The court noted that the second respondent had not been properly served, leading to an adjournment until March 31, 2023, to address pending motions.

El-Rufai sought various reliefs, including an injunction against further reliance on evidence obtained during the search and the return of seized items. The ICPC countered that the search was valid, conducted under a legitimate warrant issued by a competent court.