By Our Correspondent
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has intensified his legal battle with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), filing a fresh ₦10 billion fundamental-rights lawsuit over alleged restrictions on access to his family while in detention.
The suit, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, centres on El-Rufai’s claim that his wife, Aichatou Asabe, and his son, Abba El-Rufai, were prevented from visiting him during his detention.
El-Rufai is asking the court to protect what he describes as his constitutionally guaranteed rights, arguing that being held in custody should not automatically deprive him of reasonable contact with his immediate family.
Beyond seeking access to his family, the former governor is demanding ₦10 billion in damages over what he alleges were violations of his fundamental rights.
His legal team contends that the alleged restrictions have caused him emotional distress and interfered with his family relationships. The suit reportedly relies on constitutional provisions relating to fundamental rights as well as provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
According to the case filed by El-Rufai, his wife and son were allegedly prevented from gaining access to him despite attempts to visit him.
The former governor further alleges that his family had been providing him with necessities, including food, medication and clothing, and that restrictions on their visits had made such assistance difficult.
His Principal Secretary, Mohammed Shaba, reportedly provided an affidavit in support of the case, stating that El-Rufai was being held at the ICPC office in Abuja.
The lawsuit also contains an allegation that ICPC officials physically restrained and intimidated El-Rufai’s wife and son during an attempted visit on July 7.
El-Rufai argues that the alleged incident went beyond ordinary restrictions on detention visits and amounted to unjustified interference with his relationship with his immediate family.
The former governor has also joined the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, as defendants in the suit.
The latest legal action represents another significant development in the former governor’s ongoing confrontation with the anti-corruption agency.
El-Rufai has faced investigations by the ICPC, while he has continued to challenge aspects of the process through the courts. The new suit shifts attention specifically to fundamental rights, family access and the conditions surrounding his detention.
The case is expected to attract considerable public attention as the Federal High Court considers the claims and any responses from the defendants.
For now, the allegations contained in the suit remain claims by El-Rufai and have not been established by the court. The ICPC’s response and the court’s eventual decision will determine the outcome of the former governor’s latest legal challenge and his demand for ₦10 billion in damages.
