Former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has filed a ₦1bn fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission over the alleged unlawful invasion of his Abuja residence.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, was filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on February 20.
El-Rufai is challenging the validity of a search warrant issued on February 4 by a Chief Magistrate of the FCT Magistrates’ Court.
According to the application, the warrant was “null and void for lack of particularity, material drafting errors, ambiguity in execution parameters, overbreadth, and absence of probable cause.”
He argued that the search violated Section 37 of the Constitution and breached his fundamental rights.
El-Rufai listed the ICPC as first respondent. The Chief Magistrate of the FCT Magistrates’ Court, the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation were named as second to fourth respondents.
He is seeking seven reliefs.
Among them is a declaration that the February 19 search of his residence at House 12, Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja, was unlawful and unconstitutional.
He maintained that the action amounted to “a gross violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights to dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy under Sections 34, 35, 36, and 37 of the Constitution.”
El-Rufai further asked the court to rule that any evidence obtained from the search is inadmissible.
He also demanded the immediate return of all items allegedly seized, alongside a detailed inventory.
In addition, he is seeking ₦1bn as general, exemplary and aggravated damages for what he described as trespass, unlawful seizure, psychological trauma and reputational harm.
The claim includes ₦300m as compensatory damages, ₦400m as exemplary damages and ₦300m as aggravated damages.
According to his legal team, the warrant contravened Sections 143 to 148 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, and Section 36 of the ICPC Act, 2000.
They argued that the document lacked specific descriptions of items to be seized and contained material defects.
An affidavit deposed to by Mohammed Shaba, a principal secretary to the former governor, alleged that officers of the ICPC and the Nigeria Police Force stormed the residence under a defective warrant.
He stated that the warrant “did not specify the properties or items being searched for.”
According to the affidavit, officers seized personal documents and electronic devices, causing humiliation and distress.
The case is expected to test the limits of search warrants and constitutional safeguards against unlawful intrusion.
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