El-Rufai files N1 billion suit against ICPC over alleged unlawful invasion of residence

Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, has launched a lawsuit for N1 billion against the ICPC regarding what he claims was an unlawful search of his home in Abuja.

Represented by a legal team led by Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, El-Rufai has asked the court to rule that the search warrant issued by the Chief Magistrate of the FCT on February 4 is invalid and should be considered void.

He argues that the warrant is “null and void” due to its lack of detail, errors in its drafting, ambiguous execution instructions, excessive scope, and failure to establish probable cause, which he says led to an unlawful and unreasonable search that breaches Section 37 of the Constitution.

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Additionally, El-Rufai is seeking a court declaration that any evidence gathered from this invalid warrant and unlawful search cannot be used in any proceedings against him, as it violates constitutional protections.

The former governor requested a court order to prevent the ICPC and its agents from using or presenting any evidence or items taken during the illegal search in any investigations or legal actions against him.

El-Rufai outlined the N1 billion he is seeking in damages, specifying N300 million for compensatory damages due to psychological trauma, emotional distress, and loss of personal safety.

He stated that N400 million should be awarded as exemplary damages to discourage future misconduct by law enforcement and to uphold the applicant’s rights.

Additionally, he asked for N300 million in aggravated damages to reflect the malicious and oppressive nature of the respondents’ actions, which included using a clearly flawed warrant obtained through deceptive means.