El-Rufai files fresh N10bn suit against ICPC over family access

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has initiated a new N10 billion lawsuit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly barring his wife and son from visiting him while he was in custody. El-Rufai filed the suit, identified as FHC/ABJ/CS/1852/2026, at the Federal High Court in Abuja on August 13.

The suit claims that the ICPC denied access to his wife, Aichatou Asabe, and son, Abba El-Rufai, preventing them from providing necessary support such as food, medication, and other essentials. El-Rufai, through his lawyer Ubong Akpan, has also named the ICPC Chairman and the Attorney-General of the Federation as additional defendants.

The former governor is seeking declarations that his fundamental rights under Part IV of the 1999 Constitution remain enforceable, even during detention, and relief to allow unrestricted and reasonable access to family and counsel. El-Rufai alleges that the ICPC officers physically restrained and intimidated his family members on July 7, describing the incident as arbitrary interference with his relationships.

He seeks a court order directing the respondents to grant him and his family unhindered access throughout his detention. The suit is the latest in a series of legal actions by El-Rufai against the ICPC since the commission began investigating him. In a previous case filed in February, El-Rufai sought a declaration that a search warrant issued by a Chief Magistrate of the FCT Magistrates' Court was used illegally to raid his residence.