Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to prevent the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the State Security Service (SSS) from freezing his bank accounts or seizing his assets.
In his legal action, represented by his lawyer, Oluwole Iyamu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, El-Rufai is requesting the court to grant an interim injunction that would ensure the current state of his assets remains unchanged until the court hears both his application and the primary lawsuit.
The respondents in this case include the ICPC, EFCC, and SSS, all of which are involved in ongoing probes or legal actions against him. Additionally, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) is listed as a co-defendant in the matter.
El-Rufai is seeking to put a stop to actions that would lead to a situation where his assets could be unjustly compromised while the legal proceedings unfold.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) notes that El-Rufai was detained by the ICPC for a week prior to filing his lawsuit, submitted on 24 February. His recent return from a trip to Cairo, Egypt, has been marked by heightened scrutiny from law enforcement authorities, which reportedly attempted to arrest him upon his arrival at the Abuja airport.
Following his detention by EFCC on 16 February, El-Rufai was released on bail only to be arrested again two days later by ICPC agents. Among the charges leveled against him by the SSS is the illegal interception of a phone call belonging to National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
El-Rufai has asserted that these charges stem from his claims made during an interview that Ribadu had directed security officials to detain him, a situation he alleges is politically motivated given his critiques of President Bola Tinubu, particularly after failing to secure a ministerial role offered by the president.
The arraignment that was scheduled for El-Rufai at the Federal High Court was postponed because the ICPC did not produce him in court, leading to rescheduling by Judge Joyce Abdulmalik to 23 April.
In his legal filings, El-Rufai is advocating for a ruling that acknowledges his severance pay, received from his time as governor, as legitimate income, arguing that it should not be misconstrued as part of any illegal activity. He asserted that several properties acquired from this payment are lawfully owned and that attempts to forfeit or freeze these resources without substantial evidence would infringe upon his rights.
Additionally, he has sought an injunction prohibiting the agencies from taking any drastic steps to interfere with his bank accounts, including those held at Zenith Bank and Access Bank. El-Rufai's legal documents reference the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act of 2006 and Supreme Court rulings as bases for his entitlement to a presumption of innocence.
Compensation claims related to emotional distress caused by the threats of asset forfeiture amount to N1 billion, along with legal fees incurred due to these proceedings.
This legal resistance by El-Rufai comes amid what he perceives as politically motivated harassment under the current Tinubu administration, illustrating the tense relationship between former officials and the present government.
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