Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has initiated a second legal action against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) this year, filing a N10 billion fundamental rights suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja on August 13, 2026. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1852/2026, challenges the alleged prevention of his wife and son from visiting him while he is in ICPC custody.
Allegations of Family Blockade
According to the suit, ICPC officers physically restrained and intimidated El-Rufai's wife, Aichatou Asabe, and his son, Abba El-Rufai, on July 7, 2026, when they attempted to visit him at the ICPC's Abuja office. El-Rufai argued that this action constituted arbitrary interference with his spousal and family relationships, violating his fundamental rights.
Before the incident, Asabe had reportedly visited her husband regularly, delivering food, clothing, medication, and other personal items without any difficulty. The denial of access, El-Rufai claimed, cut off these essential supplies and caused him "humiliation, emotional trauma, anxiety and psychological distress."
His Principal Secretary, Mohammed Shaba, filed a supporting affidavit stating that the information was relayed to him by Asabe on July 12. Shaba also referenced an earlier court order by Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court's Kaduna division, issued on April 1, which directed the ICPC to allow defendants access to their lawyers and personal physicians. El-Rufai's legal team contends that this order reflects a broader legal principle that detainees cannot be held without contact with the outside world.
Nine Reliefs Sought
El-Rufai is seeking nine reliefs from the court. Central to his request is a declaration that his fundamental rights under Part IV of the 1999 Constitution remain enforceable despite his detention. He also asks the court to declare that the ICPC's refusal to grant family access, without a court order or lawful justification, violated Sections 34 and 37 of the Constitution, as well as Articles 5 and 18 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.
Specifically, El-Rufai wants the court to order the respondents to grant him "unhindered and reasonable access to members of his family and counsel throughout the period of his detention."
The suit names the ICPC chairman and the Attorney-General of the Federation as second and third defendants, respectively, alongside the commission itself. El-Rufai is currently the first defendant in charge number FHC/KD/73C/2025, a case pending before the Federal High Court in Kaduna, with the Federal Republic of Nigeria as complainant.
Second Major Legal Action in 2026
This is the second major legal action El-Rufai has launched against the ICPC in 2026. In February, he filed a separate N1 billion fundamental rights suit, later amended, challenging the validity of a search warrant used to raid his Abuja residence. That suit seeks declarations that the search violated his rights to dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy.
The former governor's legal battles come amid broader political tensions. Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), previously warned that President Bola Tinubu would bear personal responsibility if any harm comes to El-Rufai while in custody. Abdullahi, speaking on Symfoni, expressed concern over El-Rufai's deteriorating health in detention, arguing that the circumstances surrounding his prolonged custody are more politically motivated than legal, especially ahead of the 2027 general elections.
