The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has disclosed the details of documents and electronic devices allegedly recovered from the Abuja residence of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. The revelations were made in court filings before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, where the commission opposed a N1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the ex-governor.
El-Rufai had challenged what he described as his illegal arrest, detention, and the search of his home last month. However, the ICPC insisted that its operatives acted under a valid search warrant issued on 18 February and executed on 19 February between 1:37pm and 3:56pm at 12 Mambilla Street, Asokoro, Abuja.
According to the commission, its officials were accompanied by personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, and the exercise was witnessed by El-Rufai’s wife, Hadiza El-Rufai, and his son, Mohammed El-Rufai.
Items reportedly seized included investor account statements, asset declaration forms, certificates of registration for business entities, corporate compliance records, client Know-Your-Customer files, and documents linked to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) welfare secretary. Other materials comprised records of domestic and foreign loans approved by the Kaduna State House of Assembly from 2015 to 2023, interim investigation reports involving El-Rufai and associates, Ecobank Nigeria Plc share certificates, land documents, student financial services papers, valuation reports, deeds of assignment, irrevocable Powers of Attorney for multiple properties, Afri-Venture Capital Company documents, payment mandates, and media/publicity materials from the Office of the former governor.
The ICPC also reported the seizure of electronic devices, including nine flash drives, one memory card, seven hard drives, multiple laptops such as Apple MacBook Pro and Elumac Book Pro models, mobile phones including Blackberry, Nokia N95, Toshiba, Samsung IDEOS, Google IDEOS, 18 other devices, and a Remarkable tablet with chargers. All items were documented and sealed for forensic analysis. The commission stated that a detailed Device Documentation Form captured serial numbers, types, storage details, and accessories, and that the operation was witnessed by Hadiza El-Rufai, Mohammed El-Rufai, and other officials.
The former governor’s family reacted strongly, accusing the ICPC of attempting to criminalise El-Rufai’s silence during interrogation. In a statement signed by his son, Bello El-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives, the family maintained that silence is a constitutional right, not an admission of guilt. They also disputed the scope of items seized, stating that only old personal mobile phones, flash drives, and laptops were taken.
The family further alleged that the search warrant was invalid and fraudulently procured, adding that their lawyers had challenged the warrant in a competent court.
Since leaving office in 2023, El-Rufai has faced multiple probes. In 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly called for an investigation into the alleged diversion of N423 billion during his administration. He has also been arrested previously by the State Security Service and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, with his current detention by ICPC reportedly stalling his arraignment on separate phone-tapping charges.
The ICPC maintained that its actions were lawful and in accordance with its statutory mandate to investigate corruption and related offences, and that all materials seized would undergo forensic examination as part of ongoing investigations.
