AGF CHALLENGES EL-RUFAI’S N1BN RIGHTS SUIT IN COURT

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a N1bn fundamental rights suit filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

The suit concerns a search conducted by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission at El-Rufai’s Abuja residence in February 2026.

Fagbemi, through a lawyer from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Maimuna Lami-Shiru, argued that El-Rufai had failed to establish a reasonable cause of action to justify the reliefs he was seeking.

The former governor is challenging the legality of the search warrant used by the ICPC, alleging that it was defective and that the search violated his constitutional rights to privacy, dignity, personal liberty and fair hearing.

He is seeking N1bn in damages, as well as the return of items allegedly seized during the search and an order preventing authorities from using evidence obtained from the operation.

The AGF denied that El-Rufai’s rights were violated and maintained that the ICPC and the police acted within the law.

The ICPC and police have also defended the search, stating that it was carried out pursuant to a valid warrant issued by a competent court.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik has adjourned the case until October 27 to allow El-Rufai’s lawyer, Akinyemi Aremu, to respond to the AGF’s counter-affidavit.