By Achile Danjuma
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has leveled serious allegations against officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing them of coercing him to abandon political ambitions as a condition for his release from detention.
In a detailed 30-page criminal complaint filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, El-Rufai directly named ICPC Chairman Musa Adamu Aliyu and four other agency officials in the case.
According to the court documents, operatives of the ICPC allegedly told El-Rufai bluntly that his freedom hinged on his willingness to quit politics. Paragraph 12 of the suit outlines that while detained, officers acting under the authority of the commission made it clear that disengaging from political activities was a prerequisite for his release.
Further revelations in the supporting affidavit (Paragraphs 22 to 24) assert that El-Rufai was repeatedly warned that continued political involvement would prolong his detention, whereas a commitment to withdraw from politics would secure his freedom.
These allegations form the basis of Count Six in the suit, where El-Rufai accuses the officials of wrongful confinement with intent to compel—a punishable offence under Sections 264 and 267 of the Penal Code.
El-Rufai is urging the court to investigate what he describes as a brazen abuse of power aimed at stripping him of his constitutional right to participate in Nigeria’s political process.
As of filing, the ICPC has not issued an official response to the allegations.
The Federal High Court in Abuja last week adjourned a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by El-Rufai against the ICPC until March 25, 2026. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the case to allow parties to regularize their processes.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026 and filed on February 20, also lists the Chief Magistrate of the FCT Magistrate Court, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Federal Ministry of Justice as respondents.
El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, informed the court that while ready for hearing, the legal team had only recently filed their response to the ICPC’s counter-affidavit and were yet to reply to the police’s submission.
Following confirmations from legal teams representing the ICPC and police, the court directed that hearing notices be served on unrepresented respondents and adjourned the matter until March 25.
El-Rufai’s complaint also challenges a search and invasion of his Abuja residence on February 19, 2026. He alleges that ICPC operatives and police officers breached his constitutional rights to dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy as protected under Sections 34, 35, 36, and 37 of the Nigerian Constitution.
He seeks declarations that the search was unlawful, that evidence obtained thereby is inadmissible, and restraining orders preventing use of any seized items in prosecution. El-Rufai also demands immediate return of items taken from his residence and a detailed inventory of those materials.
In addition, he is seeking N1 billion as general, exemplary, and aggravated damages for the alleged violations.
The lawsuit underscores El-Rufai’s assertion that his detention was politically motivated, centered on his refusal to withdraw from the upcoming 2027 political contests.