El-Rufai Demands N15.6bn Damages in Fresh Petition, Gives Reason
- Former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has initiated a fresh legal suit against the ICPC after petitioning the commission against alleged illegal detention
- The petition was filed by a legal firm led by Ubong Akpa, dated Wednesday, March 4 and submitted to the headquarters of the ICPC
- Muyiwa Adekeye, the media adviser to the former governor, had earlier disclosed that El-Rufai had spent 17 days in detention
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Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna state, has filed another formal petition and pre-action notice to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and demanded N15.6 billion in damages over his alleged illegal detention and other violations.
The petition, dated March 4, 2026, and written by a law firm led by Ubong Akpan, was submitted to the headquarters of the anti-graft agency in Abuja.
Source: Twitter
When did ICPC arrest Nasir El-Rufai?
Recall that the former governor had been in the custody of the commission since he was granted bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 18, 2026.
This was not the first legal battle between the ex-governor and the ICPC. El-Rufai had earlier filed a N1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the agency after his house was raided by the operatives of the ICPC.
According to Daily Trust, El-Rufai, in his latest petition, demanded N15.6 billion in damages over the allegations, which included defamation, forgery, malicious prosecution, abuse of office, uttering of false documents, violation of his fundamental rights and contempt of court.
Earlier, Akpan maintained that the statement issued by the commission about the former governor was legally untenable, reckless and defamatory.
Nigerians speak on El-Rufai's dilemma
On Wednesday, March 4, Muyiwa Adekeye, the media adviser to El-Rufai, said that the former governor had been in the detention of federal government agencies for 17 days. His comment has started generating reactions from Nigerians. Below are some of their comments:
Ibrahim Sani expressed optimism about the release of the former governor:
"Kings sometimes need exile. Let God cook. He’ll be fine. He’ll be stronger and more victorious. History says so."
Dexter Sunny Ayodele recalled how El-Rufai and others disrespected former President Goodluck Jonathan:
"Something about Dr Goodluck Jonathan I need to research. Most of those bones in his throat when he was the most disrespected president are now in one trouble or another. Deuteronomy 32:35: Vengeance and recompense are for God, noting that "their foot shall slip in due time".
Source: Twitter
Odiaka Olika..Watchman criticised the former governor:
"El-Rufai finds detention unbearable after a few weeks, yet Dadiyata's family has been living that same anguish since August 2019, with no end, no answers, and no one held accountable. Funny how power reframes suffering."
AMEER's_asylum spoke on the fate of the ex-governor:
"The ongoing legal mess and time behind bars could really put a damper on Malam El-Rufai's reputation and what lies ahead for him."
You can read Adekeye's full statement on X here:
ICPC denies El-Rufai bail move
Legit.ng earlier reported that Nasir El-Rufai was reportedly denied a bail application by the ICPC, as his media aide gave an updated development on the matter.
The legal team of the former governor was said to have applied for bail for the former governor, but the anti-graft agency reportedly did not respond to the letter.
The continued detainment of El-Rufai has continued to raise concerns among the legal team and the family of the former governor.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
