El-Rufai sues ICPC, police over Abuja residence search, seeks N1bn damages
Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has filed a N1 billion lawsuit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Inspector-General of Police, challenging what he described as an unlawful search of his Abuja home.
The suit, lodged at the Federal High Court in Abuja, stems from a February 19 operation during which officers allegedly searched his residence at No. 12 Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, around 2 p.m.
El-Rufai is asking the court to nullify the search warrant used for the operation, arguing that it was defective and unconstitutional. He also wants any materials obtained during the search declared inadmissible in any investigation or prosecution, insisting that the action violated his rights to dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing and privacy.
In the court filings, he described the warrant as “null and void for lack of particularity, material drafting errors, ambiguity in execution parameters, overbreadth, and absence of probable cause,” maintaining that the alleged irregularities rendered the entire operation unlawful.
The former governor is further seeking an order compelling the anti-graft agency and the police to return all items allegedly seized from his residence, alongside a comprehensive inventory.
His N1 billion claim comprises N300 million for alleged psychological trauma and emotional distress, N400 million as exemplary damages to deter future misconduct by law enforcement agencies, and N300 million as aggravated damages for what he termed the oppressive nature of the search. He is also requesting N100 million as legal costs.
According to an affidavit deposed to by a senior aide, officers confiscated personal documents and electronic devices during the exercise, causing humiliation and distress.
The court has yet to fix a date for the hearing of the case.
