El-Rufai’s Lawyer Protests Home Raid Amid ICPC Detention
The legal team of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has strongly condemned the search of his Aso Drive residence in Abuja by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), describing the action as unlawful.
El-Rufai spent a second night in the custody of the ICPC on Thursday following his initial arrest earlier in the week.
The former governor was initially detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday and released late Wednesday, only to be immediately taken into custody by the ICPC, where he has remained since.
His media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that ICPC operatives had searched El-Rufai’s home. According to Adekeye, the former governor’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, vehemently protested the raid.
“The Aso Drive residence of Malam Nasir @elrufai was today searched by the ICPC. Ubong Akpan, Malam El-Rufai’s lawyer, condemned the action as unlawful and a clear violation of legal procedures and fundamental rights,” Adekeye posted.
An ICPC official confirmed on Thursday night that El-Rufai is still being held by the commission, but declined to provide specifics about the nature of the investigation.
“He is still very much with us. I can’t say the offence he is being investigated for. I have not really been in the office, but I was informed that the former Kaduna State governor is still with us,” the source disclosed.
Repeated attempts to get an official statement from the ICPC spokesman, John Odey, were unsuccessful.
Prior to his arrest, El-Rufai’s legal counsel had formally written to the ICPC indicating his willingness to honor an invitation on Tuesday.
This followed an incident at the airport where operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) reportedly seized his passport.
While the ICPC has maintained tight-lipped regarding the charges, unverified claims suggest that the ongoing probe might be connected to the N11.1 billion Joint Venture Kaduna light rail project. However, these claims remain unconfirmed by the anti-graft agency.
