Former Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna on Tuesday suffered a setback in his fundamental rights enforcement suit seeking N1 billion damages against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and four others.
The matter, which came up before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, could not proceed after El-Rufai’s counsel said the respondents had not been served.
Only Mr Ubong Akpan, who appeared for the former governor, was in court, as no lawyer represented the respondents.
Akpan told the court that though the case was slated for mention, efforts to serve the respondents had not been successful, and he asked for an adjournment to enable the claimant to do the needful.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until March 11 for further mention.
El-Rufai is demanding N1 billion damages from ICPC (1st respondent), the Chief Magistrate of the Magistrate’s Court of the FCT, Abuja (2nd respondent), the Inspector-General of Police (3rd respondent) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (4th respondent).
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, filed on Feb. 20 by his legal team led by Mr Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, the former governor is asking the court to declare invalid a search warrant issued on Feb. 4 by the Chief Magistrate, which authorised a search of his residence.
He contended that the warrant was defective and violated his constitutional rights to dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing and privacy as provided under Sections 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He also urged the court to declare that the search of his residence at House 12, Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja, on Feb. 19 by operatives of ICPC and the police was unlawful.
The applicant further asked the court to hold that any evidence obtained from the search was inadmissible, and to restrain the respondents from relying on, using or tendering any items seized from his premises in any investigation or proceedings against him.
He also sought an order directing ICPC and the I-G to return all items allegedly taken from his residence, with a detailed inventory.
El-Rufai is also seeking an award of N1 billion as general, exemplary and aggravated damages, as well as N100 million as cost of filing the suit, including legal fees and associated expenses.
