Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai
Family of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of launching what it described as a “malicious smear campaign” over an ongoing investigation involving alleged surveillance equipment.
In a statement issued by his son, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, a member of the Nigerian House of Representatives, the family dismissed claims that the former governor refused to cooperate with investigators.
“The ICPC has ludicrously attempted to weaponise the silence of Mallam Nasir el-Rufai against him, claiming he ‘refused to cooperate’. We must educate the Commission on the most basic tenet of Nigerian jurisprudence.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees every citizen the right to remain silent. This is not an act of non-cooperation; it is a fundamental human right,” the statement partly read.
The family also rejected reports suggesting that specialised phone-tapping or espionage devices were discovered in any property linked to El-Rufai. According to them, officials only seized “old discarded personal mobile phones, flash drives, and laptops” during the search.
They further questioned the legality of the operation, alleging that the warrant used to authorise the raid was improperly obtained and lacked the necessary jurisdiction.
The family disclosed that its legal team has already approached the courts to challenge the validity of the warrant and any materials recovered under it.
“The entire foundation of this investigation is rotten. The search that purportedly uncovered these phantom items originated from a legally defective warrant.
“We have credible evidence that the warrant was a forgery, fraudulently procured and presented by a Magistrate who was, bizarrely, purporting to sit in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. An illegality of this magnitude—a forgery at the very inception of a state-sponsored search—renders everything that follows it inadmissible and void,” the statement added.
The family insisted that the allegations were designed to damage El-Rufai’s image and maintained that they would continue to pursue all legal avenues to challenge what they described as an unlawful and politically motivated investigation.
