By Ridwanullah Sakariyah
The former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has filed a N1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over the search of his Abuja residence.
The suit followed a raid carried out by ICPC officials at his home. The agency said the operation formed part of an ongoing investigation linked to alleged surveillance equipment.
El-Rufai, through his team of lawyers led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Oluwole Iyamu, asked the court to declare the search warrant used for the operation invalid, null, and void.
Details revealed that the warrant was issued on the 4 February by the Chief Magistrate of the Magistrate’s Court of the Federal Capital Territory.
In the originating motion, El-Rufai mentioned the ICPC as the first respondent. The Chief Magistrate, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Attorney-General of the Federation were also listed as respondents.
He is seeking seven reliefs from the court which includes a declaration that the warrant authorising the search and seizure at his residence violated his fundamental rights.
The former governor’s family has also questioned the legality of the warrant. In a statement issued by his son, Mohammed El-Rufai, they described the warrant as “legally defective” and alleged that it was fraudulently obtained.
The ICPC confirmed that El-Rufai was in its custody in connection with an ongoing investigation. The agency has yet to respond formally to the claims raised in the lawsuit.
The matter is now before the court, where the validity of the search warrant and the actions of the anti-graft agency will be tested.
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