El-Rufai Files N10bn Suit Against ICPC Over Alleged Denial Of Family Access
El-Rufai Files N10bn Suit Against ICPC Over Alleged Denial of Family Access 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, alleging that the agency has prevented members of his family from visiting him in custody. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1852/2026, was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on August 13, 2026, by his lawyer, Ubong Akpan. The ICPC chairman and the Attorney-General of the Federation were also listed as defendants. El-Rufai alleged that his wife, Aichatou Asabe, and his son, Abba El-Rufai, were denied access to him despite an existing court order allowing visits by family members and legal representatives. He is asking the court to affirm that his fundamental rights remain enforceable while he is in detention. He further alleged that the denial of family access has prevented his relatives from providing him with food, medication and other necessities. The former governor also alleged that ICPC officers physically restrained and intimidated his wife and son during an incident on July 7. He contends that the alleged conduct violates his constitutional rights to dignity and private and family life 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, El-Rufai wants the court to order the ICPC and other respondents to provide him with unhindered and reasonable access to his family and lawyers throughout his detention, in accordance with the earlier court order. He further claimed that the alleged restrictions had subjected him to humiliation, emotional trauma, anxiety and psychological distress.
The latest action adds another legal battle to the former governor’s ongoing dispute with the ICPC, with the court now being asked to determine whether the alleged restrictions on family access amount to violations of his fundamental rights.
