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), accusing the anti-graft agency of unlawfully restricting access to his wife and son while he was in custody.
The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on August 13, 2026, also names the ICPC chairman and the Attorney-General of the Federation as the second and third defendants. The case is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1852/2026.
Through his lawyer, Ubong Akpan, El-Rufai is asking the court to affirm that his constitutional rights remain enforceable despite his detention by the commission.
The former governor alleges that ICPC officials repeatedly prevented his wife, Aichatou Asabe El-Rufai, and his son, Abba El-Rufai, from visiting him in custody.
He contends that the alleged restrictions prevented his family from providing him with food, medication and other essential items without lawful justification or a court order.
El-Rufai further alleges that his wife and son were physically restrained and intimidated by ICPC officials during an incident on July 7.
He argues that the alleged conduct interfered with his family relationships and violated his rights to dignity and privacy under Sections 34 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as relevant provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Among the reliefs sought, the former governor wants the court to declare the alleged denial of family access unconstitutional, unlawful and void. He is also seeking N10 billion in compensation for what he describes as violations of his fundamental rights.
The fresh action adds another legal dimension to El-Rufai’s ongoing dispute with the ICPC, which has been investigating and prosecuting him over allegations linked to financial impropriety during his tenure as Kaduna governor. El-Rufai has consistently challenged aspects of the commission’s actions in court, including the search of his Abuja residence, for which he previously sought N1 billion in damages.
The ICPC, for its part, has previously defended its handling of El-Rufai’s detention and access arrangements, maintaining that visits by family members, lawyers and medical personnel are governed by court orders and established procedures. The commission has also rejected earlier allegations of unlawful denial of family and medical access.
The latest suit is therefore set to bring the contentious issue of El-Rufai’s access to his family before the Federal High Court, with the court expected to determine whether the alleged restrictions amounted to violations of his constitutionally guaranteed rights.
