Court Adjourns El-Rufai’s N1bn Rights Suit Against ICPC, AGF, IGP For Judgment
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday fixed Dec. 2 for judgment in an N1 billion fundamental rights suit filed by former Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik fixed the date after lawyers and the parties adopted their processes in the case.
The other respondents in the suit are the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as the 2nd and 3rd respondents, respectively.
When the case was called on Tuesday, El-Rufai’s lawyer was not in court.
Justice Abdulmalik then made an order deeming all the processes filed by the former governor adopted.
Abdul Mohammed, SAN, who appeared for the ICPC, identified and adopted all their processes, urging the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety.
The I-G’s lawyer, ACP Ezekiel Rimamsomte, and Mrs Maimuna Lami-Shiru, Director of Civil Litigation and Public Law, who represented the AGF, equally adopted their separate processes and prayed the court to dismiss the suit.
While the proceeding was ongoing, Mr Ubong Akpan, the ex-governor’s counsel, entered the courtroom and apologised for his lateness.
When the lawyer sought the permission of the court to allow him to adopt his court’s documents, he was informed by the judge that his processes had already been deemed adopted.
Justice Abdulmalik consequently adjourned the matter until Dec. 2 for judgment.
The ex-governor had, earlier in the suit, sued the ICPC, the Chief Magistrate at the Magistrate’s Court of the FCT, Abuja; I-G and the AGF as 1st to 4th respondents, respectively.
He, however, dropped the name of the magistrate from the case following his inability to specify the name of the magistrate who was sued as the 2nd respondent after the judge made the observation.
El-Rufai is, therefore, demanding a N1 billion in damages against ICPC, the I-G and the AGF.
The former governor, in the originating motion on notice marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, dated and filed Feb. 20 by Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, sought seven reliefs.
He prayed the court to declare that the invasion and search of his residence at House 12, Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja, on Feb. 19 at about 2pm by the ICPC and I-G amounts to a gross violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights.
He said that it was a violation of the dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy under Sections 34, 35, 36, and 37 of the Constitution.”
He urged the court to declare that “any evidence obtained pursuant to the aforesaid invalid warrant and unlawful search is inadmissible in any proceedings against the applicant, as it was procured in breach of constitutional safeguards.”
El-Rufai, therefore, sought an order of injunction restraining the respondents and their agents from further relying on, using, or tendering any evidence or items seized during the unlawful search in any investigation, prosecution, or proceedings involving him.
He sought an order directing the 1st and 3rd respondents (ICPC and I-G) to forthwith return all items seized from the applicant’s premises during the unlawful search, together with a detailed inventory thereof.
