The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) permission to access and examine electronic devices seized from the home of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik approved the order following an ex-parte application by ICPC’s lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha. The commission intends to inspect, conduct forensic examinations, and extract data from the devices as part of its ongoing investigation.
ICPC operatives recovered 14 electronic items from El-Rufai’s residence, including mobile phones (Samsung, Nokia, Blackberry, ZTE), a Google IDEOS phone, a Remarkable tablet, an Apple MacBook Pro, a Seagate external drive, several storage devices, and ten flash drives.
El-Rufai has filed a separate lawsuit seeking N1 billion in damages, claiming that the February 19 search at his Abuja residence violated his rights to dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy. He also demands the return of the seized items and an injunction preventing their use in any proceedings against him.
ICPC maintains that the search was carried out legally under a valid warrant issued on February 18 and executed the following day in the presence of El-Rufai’s wife, Hadiza, and son, Mohammed. The commission asked the court to dismiss the suit, insisting that its actions are lawful and part of a legitimate investigation.
The Nigeria Police Force also defended the operation, confirming that it was conducted under a valid court order and in full compliance with legal procedures. They argued that El-Rufai’s suit attempts to obstruct ongoing investigations.
The case is ongoing, and ICPC is now authorized to continue its forensic examination of the recovered devices.
