Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has filed a fresh ₦10 billion fundamental rights lawsuit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing the agency of unlawfully preventing his wife and son from visiting him while in custody.
The suit, filed by his lawyer, Ubong Akpan, also lists the ICPC chairman and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as defendants.
The originating motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1852/2026, was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on August 13, 2026.
El-Rufai alleges denial of family access
At the centre of the case is El-Rufai’s claim that his detention does not remove his constitutional rights, particularly his rights to dignity, privacy and family life.
The former governor alleged that ICPC officials repeatedly prevented his wife, Aichatou Asabe, and his son, Abba El-Rufai, from visiting him while he remained in custody.
According to the suit, the restriction also affected his family’s ability to provide him with food, medication and other essential personal items.
El-Rufai further alleged that his wife and son were physically restrained and intimidated by ICPC officials during an incident on July 7.
He argued that the alleged actions amounted to unlawful interference with his relationship with his family and violated rights protected under Sections 34 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as Articles 5 and 18 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
What El-Rufai wants
The former governor is asking the court to declare that his fundamental rights remain valid and enforceable despite his detention.
He is also seeking a declaration that the alleged denial of access to his wife and son was unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void.
Among the nine reliefs sought is ₦10 billion in compensation for the alleged violations.
El-Rufai is further asking the court to affirm that his rights to dignity and private and family life were breached by the alleged conduct of the ICPC.
The anti-corruption agency had yet to publicly respond to the allegations contained in the suit at the time of reporting.
Fresh legal battle with ICPC
The latest case is another legal challenge by El-Rufai against the ICPC amid the agency’s ongoing investigation involving the former governor.
In February 2026, El-Rufai filed a separate ₦1 billion fundamental rights suit against the ICPC over the alleged search of his Abuja residence.
That case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, challenged the validity of a search warrant issued by a Chief Magistrate of the Federal Capital Territory.
El-Rufai alleged that the warrant was used to search his residence and violated his constitutional rights to dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing and privacy.
The suit was later amended, with the former governor removing the magistrate who issued the warrant from the list of defendants.
