Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has dragged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigeria Police to court, seeking N1 billion in damages over what he described as an unlawful search of his Abuja residence.
The suit, filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenges the validity of the search warrant used to enter his home at No. 12 Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja, on February 19 around 2 p.m.
El-Rufai’s legal team argued that the warrant was “null and void for lack of particularity, material drafting errors, ambiguity in execution parameters, overbreadth, and absence of probable cause.” The former governor claimed the operation violated his constitutional rights, including dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy.
He is asking the court to declare that any evidence seized during the raid cannot be used against him in any investigation or trial. In addition, he seeks an order compelling the ICPC and the Inspector-General of Police to return all items taken and provide a detailed inventory.
According to court filings, the damages sought total N1 billion, including N300 million for psychological trauma, emotional distress, and loss of personal security; N400 million as exemplary damages to deter future misconduct by law enforcement agencies; N300 million as aggravated damages for what he described as the “malicious, high-handed and oppressive nature of the operation”; and N100 million to cover legal costs.
El-Rufai’s lawyer emphasized that the warrant contained errors in the address, date, and district details, and did not specify the items to be seized, rendering the search illegal and inadmissible in court.
In an affidavit, a senior aide to the former governor said officers seized personal documents and electronic devices without lawful authority, causing humiliation, psychological trauma, and distress.
The court has not yet fixed a date for hearing the matter.