The family of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of orchestrating a “malicious smear campaign” over an investigation involving alleged surveillance equipment.
In a statement issued by his son, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives, the family rejected claims that the former governor declined to cooperate with investigators.
“The ICPC has ludicrously attempted to weaponise the silence of Mallam Nasir el-Rufai against him, claiming he ‘refused to cooperate’. We must educate the Commission on the most basic tenet of Nigerian jurisprudence.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees every citizen the right to remain silent. This is not an act of non-cooperation; it is a fundamental human right,” the statement read.
The family also dismissed reports that specialised phone-tapping or espionage devices were recovered from a property linked to El-Rufai, maintaining that only “old discarded personal mobile phones, flash drives, and laptops” were taken.
They questioned the legality of the search, alleging that the warrant authorising the operation was improperly obtained and issued without jurisdiction. According to the statement, their legal team has approached the courts to challenge both the validity of the warrant and any evidence obtained through it.
“The entire foundation of this investigation is rotten. The search that purportedly uncovered these phantom items originated from a legally defective warrant.
“We have credible evidence that the warrant was a forgery, fraudulently procured and presented by a Magistrate who was, bizarrely, purporting to sit in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. An illegality of this magnitude—a forgery at the very inception of a state-sponsored search—renders everything that follows it inadmissible and void,” the family added.
El-Rufai’s Abuja residence was searched by ICPC officials, according to his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, who said officers arrived at about 2 p.m. and conducted a thorough search of the property.
The ICPC has confirmed that the former governor is in its custody in connection with an ongoing investigation.
Following the raid, El-Rufai, a former chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), filed a ₦1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the agency, challenging what he described as the unlawful invasion of his Abuja home.
In the suit filed on February 20 by his counsel, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, El-Rufai is contesting the validity of a February 4 search warrant issued by a Chief Magistrate of the FCT Magistrate’s Court. The ICPC is listed as the first respondent, while the magistrate, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Attorney-General of the Federation are named as second to fourth respondents. Among the reliefs sought is a declaration that the warrant authorising the search and seizure is invalid, null and void.
