A legal standoff has emerged between the legal team of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over the circumstances surrounding his detention in connection with alleged financial crimes.
In a strongly worded protest letter dated March 6, 2026, and addressed to the Chairman of the ICPC, El-Rufai’s legal counsel, led by Abuja-based lawyer Ubong Esop Akpan, accused the anti-corruption agency of abusing court processes, unlawfully detaining their client, and allegedly misleading the courts.
The letter, which was also copied to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, claims that the ICPC secured a remand order from a Magistrate Court in Bwari, Abuja, on February 19, 2026.
The order reportedly permitted the commission to detain the former governor for 14 days while investigations into alleged offences, including money laundering, were ongoing.
However, El-Rufai’s lawyers argued that the order was improperly obtained, insisting that offences such as money laundering fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court and not a magistrate court. They alleged that the ICPC deliberately approached a lower court in order to obtain a detention order that might not have been granted by a court of competent jurisdiction.
The legal team further claimed that the remand order was never served on either the former governor or his legal representatives, describing the alleged omission as a violation of his constitutional right to a fair hearing.
Meanwhile, El-Rufai has filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, seeking to stop any attempt to extend the detention order.
The suit lists the ICPC, the Chief Magistrate of the Bwari Magistrate Court, and the Attorney-General of the Federation as respondents.
Through the legal action, the former governor is asking the court to declare his detention unlawful and to restrain authorities from continuing to hold him without filing formal charges before a court of competent jurisdiction.
In their letter to the anti-graft agency, the lawyers further accused the commission of engaging in forum shopping, fraudulent misrepresentation before the court, and unlawful detention.
They also alleged that ICPC officials made sworn statements which were allegedly breached after the agency failed to file charges against their client following the expiration of the initial 14-day remand period.
The legal team warned that petitions could be filed before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee against lawyers involved in the matter. They also threatened to petition law enforcement authorities to investigate what they described as possible perjury linked to affidavits filed in court.
Demands and Possible Legal Action
El-Rufai’s lawyers are demanding his immediate release, the withdrawal of the ICPC’s application to extend the detention order, and a public apology from the commission.
They further indicated that the former governor is considering legal action to seek ₦2 billion in damages from the ICPC and its officials for what they described as violations of his fundamental rights.
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