The Federal Excessive Courtroom on Thursday granted the Unbiased Corrupt Practices and Different Associated Offences Fee (ICPC) permission to entry and analyse digital units recovered from the residence of former Nasir El-Rufai, ex-Governor of Kaduna State.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik authorised the order following an ex-parte movement filed by ICPC’s lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, which sought authorisation to examine, conduct forensic examinations, and extract knowledge from the units as half of an ongoing investigation into the former governor.
In accordance to stories, operatives recovered 14 digital units from El-Rufai’s Abuja residence. The gadgets embody a Sony HD-EGS storage gadget, ITB Transcend storage gadget, Toshiba storage gadget, Samsung and Nokia cellular telephones, a Blackberry gadget, Google IDEOS cellphone, Samsung storage gadget (SPO802N), Exceptional pill, Apple MacBook Professional, Seagate FreeAgent desk exterior drive, ZTE cellular cellphone, ten flash drives, and a microSD card.
The ex-parte movement varieties half of case FHC/ABJ/CS/499/2026, titled Federal Republic of Nigeria vs. Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai. Individually, El-Rufai is difficult the search in one other swimsuit in search of ₦1 billion in damages, underneath case FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, filed on February 20 by Oluwole Iyamu.
In his basic rights enforcement swimsuit, El-Rufai alleges that the February 19 search of his residence at 12 Mambilla Avenue, Aso Drive, Abuja, violated his rights to dignity, private liberty, honest listening to, and privateness underneath Sections 34, 35, 36, and 37 of the Nigerian Structure. He additionally argues that any proof obtained from the search is inadmissible and is in search of an injunction to stop its use in proceedings towards him.
El-Rufai additional calls for the speedy return of all seized gadgets with an stock and claims ₦1 billion in basic, exemplary, and aggravated damages.
In response, ICPC maintained that the search adopted a legitimate warrant issued on February 18 and executed on February 19 between 1:37 pm and 3:56 pm at the former governor’s residence.
The fee said that the operation, which concerned the Nigeria Police Pressure, was witnessed by El-Rufai’s spouse, Hadiza El-Rufai, and his son, Mohammed. ICPC urged the courtroom to dismiss the swimsuit, asserting that its actions have been lawful and half of a respectable investigation.
The Nigeria Police Pressure, by means of a counter-affidavit deposed by Insp. Ewa Anthony, additionally defended the search, emphasising that it was carried out underneath a legitimate courtroom order and in full compliance with authorized procedures.
The police argued that El-Rufai’s swimsuit makes an attempt to use the courtroom as a protect towards ongoing investigations and potential prosecution.
The case stays pending earlier than the Federal Excessive Courtroom, with the authorization enabling ICPC to proceed its forensic examination of the recovered units.