AGF asks court to dismiss El-Rufai’s suit over Abuja home search
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a fundamental rights suit filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over the search of his Abuja residence by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
Fagbemi, through counsel from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Maimuna Lami-Shiru, made the request on Monday while responding to the suit filed by the former governor.
The AGF, in his counter-affidavit, maintained that the ICPC and the Inspector-General of Police acted within the law when they searched El-Rufai’s residence and seized items during the exercise.
He also argued that the former governor’s suit amounted to an abuse of court process, claiming that El-Rufai had two other pending cases on the same subject before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the minister, El-Rufai failed to disclose any reasonable cause of action that could justify the reliefs sought from the Federal High Court.
Fagbemi further argued that the items seized from the former governor’s residence were required to enable the anti-corruption agency conclude its investigation.
He consequently urged the court to dismiss the suit.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until October 27 to enable counsel to El-Rufai respond to the AGF’s counter-affidavit.
