El-Rufai Files N1bn Lawsuit Against ICPC for Invasion

Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, has initiated a N1 billion lawsuit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other parties for an alleged unlawful invasion of his residence in Abuja. The suit, filed on February 20, 2023, by a legal team led by Oluwol Iyamu, seeks a declaration that the search warrant executed on February 19, 2023, was invalid and constituted a gross violation of his fundamental rights.

El-Rufai argues that the warrant lacked particularity, was overbroad, and executed without probable cause, thus infringing on his rights to dignity, privacy, and fair hearing as outlined in sections 34, 35, 36, and 37 of the Nigerian Constitution. He is requesting the court to declare any evidence obtained during the unlawful search inadmissible and to return all seized items.

Additionally, he seeks N1 billion in damages for psychological trauma and reputational harm caused by the incident.