A Chief Magistrate Court in Bwari has granted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission an additional 14 days to detain former Kaduna State governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai as investigations into allegations against him continue.
The order, issued on Thursday, allows the anti-graft agency more time to complete its probe into allegations of money laundering and abuse of office. According to court records, the ruling was granted in the presence of El-Rufai’s legal representative, and the new detention order is expected to lapse on March 19, 2026.
However, El-Rufai’s legal team has challenged the decision, returning to the same court to seek the nullification of the latest remand order. The trial Chief Magistrate, Okechukwu John Akweke, has scheduled March 17 to rule on whether the new detention order should be set aside.
Court documents indicate that the application for the extension was made by the prosecuting counsel, Dr. Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha, who asked the court to issue a remand warrant permitting the ICPC to keep El-Rufai in custody while investigations are completed.
In his ruling, the magistrate granted the request, stating that the commission is permitted to detain the former governor for an additional 14 days pending the conclusion of investigative activities. The court also directed the anti-corruption agency to report back on March 19 regarding compliance with the order.
Sources within the ICPC dismissed claims circulating in some media reports that the commission was acting outside legal procedures.
According to a source in the agency, the detention followed proper legal processes and was backed by valid court orders.
“With a Senior Advocate of Nigeria as the commission’s chairman, we cannot detain El-Rufai or any suspect without a valid court order,” the source said.
The source added that El-Rufai’s legal team had been present throughout the proceedings but accused some individuals of misrepresenting the situation publicly.
“The first remand order was challenged by his lawyer and the case was dismissed. The second remand order is now before the court, which will rule on March 17,” the source explained.
Despite this, El-Rufai has continued to challenge the legality of the remand order. Through his lawyer, Ukpong Esop Akpan, the former governor argued that the order issued by the Chief Magistrate Court amounts to a jurisdictional overreach.
His legal team filed a motion citing several provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act as well as relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In a 20-paragraph affidavit supporting the application, a deponent, Mohammed Salihu Shaba, stated that the remand order issued on February 19, 2026, was fundamentally defective and should be set aside.
The court is expected to determine the validity of the latest detention order when it delivers its ruling on March 17.
