Nasir El-Rufai Files N15.6 Billion Suit Against ICPC Over Alleged Unlawful Detention And Violations
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has filed a pre-action notice and petition with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), seeking N15.6 billion in damages over what he claims were unlawful detention and other violations.
The petition, dated March 4, 2026, was submitted to the ICPC headquarters in Abuja by a law firm led by Ubong Akpan.
El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) granted him bail on February 18, 2026. This is not his first legal dispute with the anti-graft agency; he previously filed a N1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit following a raid on his residence by ICPC operatives.
In the latest petition, El-Rufai is claiming damages for alleged defamation, abuse of office, forgery, uttering false documents, malicious prosecution, contempt of court, and violation of his fundamental rights.
Akpan described a recent ICPC statement about El-Rufai as reckless, defamatory, and legally untenable. The petition reads in part:
“It is with profound regret, yet resolute determination, that we address you. The Commission, established to combat corruption and uphold integrity, has descended into what can only be described as a circus of chicanery, theatrical posturing, and media trial. Your press statement is not a communication from a law enforcement agency; it is the frantic scribbling of an organisation caught in illegality and attempting to justify the unjustifiable.
“We place you on notice: this letter is a formal pre-action notice, the final courtesy before we unleash the full weight of the law for the catalogue of crimes, torts, and constitutional violations detailed below.”
The damages breakdown is as follows:
- Compensatory damages: N5,000,000,000
- Exemplary/Punitive damages: N5,000,000,000
- Aggravated damages: N5,000,000,000
- Damages for injurious falsehood: N500,000,000
- Cost of action: N100,000,000
Total: N15,600,000,000.
