The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday postponed the hearing of a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and four other respondents.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until March 25 to allow all parties involved to properly regularise their court processes.
El-Rufai is seeking N1 billion in damages in the suit against the ICPC, the Chief Magistrate of the Magistrate’s Court of the FCT in Abuja, the Nigeria Police Force represented by the Inspector-General of Police, and the Office of the Attorney‑General of the Federation, who are listed as the first to fourth respondents.
During the court session, El-Rufai’s counsel, Ubong Akpan, informed the judge that the case was scheduled for hearing. However, he explained that his legal team had only recently filed a response to the ICPC’s counter-affidavit and had yet to respond to the submission from the police.
Lawyers representing the ICPC and the police, Abdulsufiano Abubakar and Ezekiel Rimamsomte respectively, confirmed the statement made by Akpan.
Following this, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case to March 25 for further hearing.
The judge also directed that hearing notices be issued and served on the second and fourth respondents — the Chief Magistrate and the Attorney-General of the Federation — as they were not represented in court.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, dated February 20 and filed by Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), El-Rufai is asking the court for seven reliefs.
He requested the court to declare that the search and invasion of his residence located at House 12, Mambilla Street, Aso Drive in Abuja on February 19 around 2pm by ICPC operatives and the Inspector-General of Police constituted a violation of his constitutional rights.
He said that it was a violation to the dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy under Sections 34, 35, 36, and 37 of the Constitution.”
El-Rufai further asked the court to rule that any evidence obtained during the search should not be admissible in court.
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.”
The former governor also requested an injunction preventing the respondents and their representatives from using any items or evidence taken from his residence during the search in any investigation or legal proceedings involving him.
Additionally, he asked the court to order the ICPC and the Inspector-General of Police to immediately return all items seized from his home, along with a full inventory of the recovered materials.
El-Rufai is also seeking an award of N1 billion as general, exemplary, and aggravated damages.
In response, the ICPC stated in its counter-affidavit that the commission received a petition concerning El-Rufai and subsequently launched an investigation, which led to the search of his residence.
The anti-corruption agency maintained that its officers acted under a valid search warrant issued on February 18 and carried out the operation the following day between 1:37pm and 3:56pm at his residence in Asokoro, Abuja.
The commission also explained that its operatives were accompanied by officers from the Nigeria Police Force during the operation, adding that the search was witnessed by El-Rufai’s wife, Hadiza El-Rufai, and his son, Mohammed El-Rufai.
ICPC therefore urged the court to dismiss the lawsuit.