The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) permission to present portions of CCTV recordings in a ₦10 billion fundamental rights suit filed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
Justice Chigozie Onah, ruling on separate applications filed by the anti-corruption agency and the former governor on Thursday, limited both parties to 20 minutes each to demonstrate relevant sections of the footage in open court.
The judge declined El-Rufai’s request for the entire recording, lasting more than six hours, to be played publicly.
Court Limits CCTV Presentation to 20 Minutes Each
Justice Onah said the court could not devote several hours to viewing the complete recording when shorter portions could be presented to address the disputed issues.
The court also considered security concerns raised by the ICPC over the potential exposure of sensitive areas within its facility.
Counsel to the commission, Yetunde Mosunmola, had argued that publicly displaying the full footage could reveal security arrangements at the agency’s premises.
The judge accepted that concern and indicated that any need to examine the complete footage could be considered in a more restricted setting.
Both parties were consequently permitted to select relevant portions for presentation within the time allocated.
Judge Rejects Request to Question ICPC Officials
The court also refused El-Rufai’s application seeking to compel two ICPC officials involved in preparing or certifying the evidence to appear for cross-examination.
Justice Onah explained that fundamental rights enforcement proceedings are generally determined on affidavit evidence.
He therefore declined the request to question the officials in open court.
The judge also rejected the other reliefs sought by the former governor in the interlocutory application.
The ruling concerned the manner in which evidence would be presented and did not determine the substantive allegations in the case.
El-Rufai Seeks ₦10bn Over Alleged Denial of Family Access
El-Rufai instituted the fundamental rights action against the ICPC, its chairman, Musa Aliyu, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1852/2026, was filed through his lawyer, Ubong Akpan.
The former governor is seeking ₦10 billion in damages over allegations that the commission unlawfully prevented his wife, Aichatou Asabe, and his son, Abba El-Rufai, from visiting him while he was in custody.
He contends that the restrictions violated rights protected by the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The former governor asked the court to make declarations and orders concerning his treatment during detention.
ICPC Defends Restrictions on Family Visits
In its response, the ICPC denied wrongdoing and maintained that El-Rufai was being held under a lawful court order.
An official of the commission, John Uche, stated in an affidavit that restrictions on certain visits followed alleged security incidents at the agency’s premises.
According to the commission, a medical visit involving El-Rufai and his wife on July 7, 2026, allegedly became a political meeting contrary to security procedures.
The agency said it subsequently introduced temporary measures to control access while reviewing the situation.
The ICPC also alleged that El-Rufai’s wife had entered its premises outside authorised visiting hours on July 4 with assistance from some staff members.
It said the alleged incident prompted disciplinary action against the officers concerned.
These claims form part of the commission’s defence and have not been established as judicial findings in the substantive suit.
Dispute Over Incident Involving El-Rufai’s Son
Another disputed issue concerns events involving El-Rufai’s son, Abba, who reportedly attempted to visit his father on July 7.
The ICPC’s account alleged that Abba engaged in unusual conduct near a gutter after being denied entry.
El-Rufai disputed that account.
He argued that additional CCTV footage would show his son being forcibly moved and his leg becoming trapped near the gutter.
The former governor maintained that the selected clips provided by the commission did not present the complete sequence of events.
The opposing descriptions of the incident are among the factual disputes the court is expected to consider.
Why El-Rufai Wanted the Full CCTV Recordings
El-Rufai asked the court to order the commission to produce complete, unedited recordings covering specified periods in June and July 2026.
He also requested visitor registers, entry and exit records, and other documents relating to visits by members of his family.
His lawyers argued that the three clips submitted by the ICPC were selective and could not establish what occurred before and after the recorded events.
The former governor further requested permission to question the officials responsible for the recordings and their certification.
He argued that withholding relevant material could justify an adverse inference under the Evidence Act.
The ICPC opposed the requests, insisting that the selected footage was relevant and that full public disclosure could create security risks.
ICPC Identifies Three CCTV Segments
The commission said the footage submitted to the court contained three segments relating to disputed incidents at its premises.
The clips were described as covering a scuffle, the removal of El-Rufai’s son from the area and an alleged unauthorised entry.
According to the ICPC, the recordings would help the court assess the sequence of events and the conduct of individuals involved.
The commission also sought permission to use audiovisual equipment to demonstrate the clips.
Justice Onah granted limited permission for the footage to be shown while rejecting the request for an extended public screening.
Court Adjourns Case Until November 3
Following the ruling, Justice Onah adjourned the matter until November 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. for a definite hearing of the substantive applications.
The next hearing is expected to address the outstanding fundamental rights issues.
The case centres on whether restrictions placed on family visits during El-Rufai’s detention were lawful and whether the former governor is entitled to the damages and other reliefs he seeks.
For now, the court has ruled only on how the disputed CCTV evidence may be presented.
Neither El-Rufai’s allegations nor the ICPC’s competing account has been conclusively determined in the substantive proceedings.
