By Ayomide Otitoju
Lawyers representing former Nasir El‑Rufai, governor of Kaduna State, have accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of spreading unverified allegations linking their client to multi-billion-naira properties in Egypt, describing the claims as politically motivated.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, El-Rufai’s counsel, Ubong Esop Akpan, said the allegations were based on anonymous “leaks” and lacked credible evidence.
Akpan argued that the claims were being circulated to justify what he described as the unlawful detention of the former governor. He characterised the ICPC’s position as “a fabricated narrative devoid of verifiable evidence,” alleging that it was part of a smear campaign aimed at legitimising El-Rufai’s continued detention.
According to the lawyer, El-Rufai voluntarily reported to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 16, where he was granted administrative bail before being taken into custody two days later by operatives allegedly acting under the direction of the Department of State Services (DSS).
He said the former governor has remained in detention since February 18 without being formally charged in court, describing the development as a violation of Section 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantees personal liberty and requires suspects to be brought before a court within a reasonable time.
Akpan also questioned the validity of a remand order reportedly issued on February 19, claiming it expired on March 4 and was never served on the defence team.
The lawyer further alleged that ICPC officials, including its chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, attempted to pressure El-Rufai to withdraw from political activities in exchange for his release.
He added that legal steps had been initiated against the ICPC chairman, the Director-General of the DSS, and other officials, seeking their personal accountability for what he described as violations of El-Rufai’s fundamental rights.
Akpan demanded the immediate release of the former governor or his arraignment before a court of competent jurisdiction.
