The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to throw out former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s N1bn suit challenging an ICPC search of his Abuja residence. Fagbemi made the request through a lawyer from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Maimuna Lami-Shiru, during proceedings before Justice Joyce […]

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to throw out former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s N1bn suit challenging an ICPC search of his Abuja residence.

Fagbemi made the request through a lawyer from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Maimuna Lami-Shiru, during proceedings before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.

The AGF argued that the former governor’s case lacked merit and that El-Rufai had failed to establish a reasonable cause of action to support the reliefs contained in his suit.

The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, was instituted against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Inspector-General of Police.

El-Rufai filed the suit over the February 19 search of his residence at House 12, Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja, by operatives of the ICPC.

He is asking the court to declare the search warrant used during the operation invalid, null and void.

The former governor argued that the warrant, issued by a Chief Magistrate on February 18, was defective because of alleged drafting errors, ambiguity, overbreadth, lack of particularity and absence of probable cause.

According to El-Rufai, the alleged defects made the search an unlawful and unreasonable interference with his constitutional right to privacy under Section 37.

He also wants the court to declare that the search and seizure violated his rights to dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing and privacy under Sections 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the Constitution.

During Monday’s proceedings, the AGF informed the court that a counter-affidavit had been filed challenging the competence of El-Rufai’s suit.

Fagbemi rejected the allegation of rights violations and maintained that the ICPC and police acted within the law while carrying out the search.

The ICPC had also asked the court to dismiss the suit, maintaining that the operation formed part of an investigation into a petition against the former governor.

The commission said its operatives obtained and acted on a valid search warrant issued by a competent court, with police officers accompanying them during the exercise.

The ICPC further stated that the search was carried out in the presence of El-Rufai’s wife, Hadiza, and his son, Mohammed.

The police similarly defended the operation, stating that its officers have statutory powers to detect, arrest, investigate and prosecute offenders.

An Inspector, Ewa Anthony, in a counter-affidavit filed by the police, maintained that the officers lawfully executed a warrant issued by a competent court.

El-Rufai is asking the court to prevent the respondents from using or tendering any evidence obtained from the search in proceedings against him.

He also wants all seized items returned to him alongside a detailed inventory.

Among the items listed by the ICPC are mobile phones, electronic storage devices, flash drives, a MicroSD memory card, a reMarkable tablet and an Apple MacBook Pro.

The anti-graft agency secured court permission on March 12 to examine and analyse about 14 sets of electronic devices allegedly recovered during the operation.

El-Rufai is seeking N1bn in damages, comprising N300m in compensatory damages, N400m in exemplary damages and N300m in aggravated damages.

He cited alleged psychological trauma, emotional distress, loss of personal security and the alleged “malicious, high-handed, and oppressive nature” of the respondents’ actions as grounds for the damages.

He is also demanding N100m as litigation costs.

Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case until October 27, when El-Rufai’s lawyer, Akinyemi Aremu, is expected to respond to the AGF’s counter-affidavit.

The former Kaduna governor is also involved in other legal proceedings, including charges concerning the alleged interception of telephone communications involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.