El-Rufai Slams ICPC With Fresh N10bn Suit Over Alleged Family Access Denial

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has filed a fresh N10 billion suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over the alleged denial of access to his wife and son while he was in custody.

El-Rufai, who was Kaduna governor from 2015 to 2023, has been in custody for allegations of abuse of office, corruption and misappropriation and didn’t meet the terms for bail.

The suit, filed by his lawyer, Ubong Akpan, also lists the Chairman of the ICPC and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as the second and third 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 is asking the court to declare that his fundamental rights under Part IV of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, remain valid and enforceable despite his detention by the commission.

According to the suit, the former governor alleges that the ICPC repeatedly prevented his wife, Aichatou Asabe, and his son, Abba El-Rufai, from seeing him while he was in custody.

He contends that the alleged denial of access deprived him of the opportunity to receive food, medication and other necessities from his family, without any lawful justification or court order backing the restriction.

El-Rufai argued that the alleged actions violated rights guaranteed under Sections 34 and 37 of the Constitution, as well as Articles 5 and 18 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

He further alleged that ICPC officers physically restrained and intimidated his wife and son on July 7, describing the incident as an unlawful interference with his spousal and filial relationships.