ICPC and El-Rufai Family Clash Over Wiretapping Devices

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the family of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai are in conflict regarding the recovery of wiretapping devices. The ICPC claims to have retrieved documents and electronic devices capable of intercepting communications during a search of El-Rufai's residence, which they assert relate to national security.

El-Rufai declined to consent to a forensic examination of the seized devices. His wife, Hadiza Isma El-Rufai, and son, Moham Bello El-Rufai, have publicly accused the ICPC of attempting to undermine El-Rufai's constitutional rights and of fabricating claims about the recovered items, which they describe as outdated and irrelevant.

The ICPC has countered that El-Rufai's son, a member of Nigeria's House of Representatives, issued a statement alleging that the commission's actions were an infringement on their rights. The family plans to take legal action against the ICPC for alleged unlawful detention and seeks N1 billion in damages.