The legal battle surrounding Plateau lawmaker Adamu Aliyu has taken a fresh twist after he accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of misleading the court in its handling of his alleged contract fraud case.

Aliyu, who represents Jos North Constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly, was recently declared wanted by a Federal High Court in Abuja over a disputed ₦73.6 million Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) contract.

On Friday, the embattled legislator filed a motion before the same court, seeking an ex-parte order to vacate the arrest warrant issued against him by Justice Emeka Nwite on September 12.

The controversy began when businessman Mohammed Jidda petitioned the ICPC, claiming Aliyu promised to help him secure an ₦850 million TETFund contract at the University of Jos through a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Jidda alleged that he paid ₦73.6 million upfront, including ₦52 million for Imanal Concept Ltd, a company linked to another suspect, Saad Abubakar.

But in his fresh filing, Aliyu argued that the ICPC had concealed material facts when seeking the court’s order. According to him, he had earlier written to the agency explaining his limited involvement in the matter, but his explanation was ignored.

The lawmaker claimed he merely received ₦45 million on behalf of another contractor, Lawal Abubakar, and later refunded the sum in June 2024 when the contract deal collapsed. He said the refund was a critical fact the ICPC failed to disclose.

Aliyu’s legal team, led by M.B. Abdullahi and M.M. Auwal, described the arrest order as “oppressive, overreaching, and unnecessary.” They argued that dragging him into a criminal case while the contractual dispute remains unresolved amounts to abuse of judicial process.

The legislator also revealed that he only learned of the “wanted” declaration when it surfaced on social media and in national newspapers, calling it a shocking ambush. He insisted on his innocence, adding that he voluntarily reported to ICPC headquarters in Abuja on September 15 — just three days after the publication.

Aliyu vowed to fight the case to clear his name, accusing the anti-graft agency of targeting him unfairly while the “real culprits” remain at large.