By Ayomide Otitoju
The media adviser to former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has yet to respond to his principal’s bail application eight days after his detention.
In a statement posted on X on Monday night, Muyiwa Adekeye said El-Rufai voluntarily honoured an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 16, 2026, and was initially held by the commission before being transferred to ICPC custody on February 18.
Adekeye stated that as of the eighth day of detention, El-Rufai’s lawyers had not received any response to their bail application from the ICPC and had not been presented with a remand order, despite the expiration of the 48-hour constitutional window for detention without charge.
He disclosed that two court matters involving the former governor are scheduled for hearing this week. A fundamental rights enforcement suit filed against the Federal Government, ICPC, EFCC and the Department of State Services (DSS) is set for hearing on February 25 before the FCT High Court, seeking an order admitting him to bail.
El-Rufai is also scheduled for arraignment on the same date on charges reportedly filed by the DSS.
Adekeye further revealed that the former governor has approached the Federal High Court to challenge the legality of a search conducted at his Abuja residence on February 19. The suit seeks a declaration that the search warrant was invalid on grounds including alleged lack of specificity, drafting errors, ambiguity and absence of probable cause. He is also asking the court to restrain authorities from using items recovered during the search in any proceedings against him.
According to the statement, ICPC officials searched El-Rufai’s residence on February 19, followed by further interrogation on February 20. A bail application was subsequently filed but remains unanswered.
Adekeye added that during his earlier detention by the EFCC between February 16 and 18, El-Rufai was granted administrative bail under certain conditions, including the provision of a serving federal permanent secretary as surety, while his lawyers sought a variation of the terms.
He also alleged difficulties in accessing the former governor by his legal team and family members and claimed that El-Rufai experienced a health episode during detention.
The statement further alleged that his passport was seized at an airport on February 12 during what was described as a failed arrest attempt, an action his lawyers reportedly challenged as unlawful.
El-Rufai is currently facing multiple legal proceedings involving security and anti-corruption agencies, including pending charges and investigations, alongside suits he has instituted challenging aspects of his detention and the search of his residence.
