The hearing of a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and four other respondents was stalled on Tuesday due to failure to serve court processes.
El-Rufai is demanding ₦1 billion in damages from the ICPC and the other defendants.
The additional respondents in the suit include the Magistrate’s Court of the Federal Capital Territory, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Federal Ministry of Justice (Attorney-General of the Federation), listed as second to fourth respondents.
When the matter was called before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, proceedings could not begin because none of the respondents had legal representation in court.
Counsel to the former governor, Ubong Akpan, informed the court that although the case was scheduled for mention, service of the originating processes had not been completed. He therefore sought an adjournment to allow proper service on the respondents.
Justice Abdulmalik granted the request and adjourned the matter until March 11, 2026, for further mention.
Among the reliefs being sought, El-Rufai is asking the court to declare the search warrant issued on February 4 by the Chief Magistrate’s Court of the FCT—which authorised search and seizure operations at his residence—as invalid and without legal effect.
What you should know
Nasir El-Rufai’s ₦1 billion fundamental rights suit against the ICPC and other government bodies was stalled after his legal team failed to serve court documents on the respondents.
The case has been adjourned to March 11, 2026, while the former governor challenges the validity of a search warrant issued against him.
