Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has filed a fresh N10 billion fundamental rights suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging that his wife and son were prevented from visiting him while in custody.
The suit, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja on August 13, 2026, seeks to compel the anti-corruption agency to respect what El-Rufai described as his constitutional rights during detention.
El-Rufai, through his lawyer, Ubong Akpan, alleged that ICPC officials stopped his wife, Aichatou Asabe, and son, Abba El-Rufai, from gaining access to him.
The former governor joined the ICPC Chairman and the Attorney-General of the Federation as defendants in the suit.
He is asking the court to declare that his fundamental rights remain protected despite his detention, arguing that the alleged denial of access to family members, particularly when they sought to provide him with food, medication and other necessities, was unlawful.
El-Rufai further alleged that ICPC officers physically restrained and intimidated his wife and son during an incident on July 7, describing the alleged action as an unjustified interference with his family relationships.
He wants the court to declare that the continued denial of family access without lawful authority is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.
The former governor is also seeking an order directing the ICPC to grant him “unhindered and reasonable access” to his family members and counsel throughout his detention, in line with an earlier directive of the Federal High Court.
According to El-Rufai, the alleged restrictions have subjected him to humiliation, emotional trauma, anxiety and psychological distress.
He further alleged that the ICPC’s actions were arbitrary and inconsistent with Sections 34, 37 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, El-Rufai’s Principal Secretary, Mohammed Shaba, stated that the former governor was being detained at the ICPC office in Abuja.
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Shaba said El-Rufai’s wife had regularly provided him with food, clothing, medication and other personal necessities while in custody.
He also cited an earlier order issued by Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Kaduna directing the ICPC to grant access to lawyers and personal doctors whenever necessary.
According to Shaba, the order underscored that detainees should not be held incommunicado and that the ICPC remained subject to judicial oversight regarding the conditions of detention.
The latest suit adds another legal dimension to El-Rufai’s ongoing dispute with the anti-corruption agency, with the former governor seeking judicial intervention over the conditions surrounding his detention.
