By Achile Danjuma
Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, and his family have issued a formal demand for N15.6 billion in damages from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), its Chairman, and other officers. The legal action follows his recent arrest, detention, and what his legal team describes as defamatory public statements made by the commission.
The demand stems from a controversial press statement issued by the ICPC on March 2, 2026, in which the anti-graft agency claimed to have discovered “wiretapping equipment” during a search of El-Rufai’s residence.
In a letter dated March 4, 2026, El-Rufai’s legal team rejected the ICPC’s claims as false, misleading, and defamatory, insisting that the allegations have inflicted serious reputational damage on the former governor and his family. The notice accuses the commission of multiple violations of his fundamental rights.
The formal legal notice outlines claims totaling N15.6 billion, comprising N5 billion as compensatory damages, another N5 billion as exemplary and punitive damages intended to deter similar conduct by public officials, and an additional N5 billion as aggravated damages. The family is also seeking N500 million for injurious falsehood and N100 million to cover the cost of legal action.
El-Rufai’s legal team has given the ICPC a 24-hour ultimatum to comply with the demands, warning that failure to meet the deadline will trigger a series of immediate legal actions. These include filing contempt of court proceedings against the ICPC Chairman at the Federal High Court and accelerating pending fundamental rights enforcement and bail applications before the FCT High Court.
The team also plans to initiate civil suits against the commission for malicious prosecution, false imprisonment, defamation, and abuse of office.
The legal team further threatened to report what it termed the alleged forgery of a remand order for criminal investigation to relevant authorities and to petition the FCT Judicial Service Commission for disciplinary action against the magistrate involved in the case.
Additionally, El-Rufai’s lawyers stated their intention to file a formal complaint before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, alleging grave violations of his fundamental rights by a state institution.
As of press time, the ICPC had not issued an official response to the new legal demand.