El-Rufai Withdraws N1 Billion Rights Case Against Abuja Magistrate

Nasir El-Rufai, the ex-governor of Kaduna State, has officially withdrawn his suit asserting the violation of his fundamental rights against a chief magistrate, who was named as the second defendant in his N1 billion lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The decision to withdraw was communicated by El-Rufai's attorney, Ugochukwu Nnakwu, who notified Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that a motion had been submitted to exclude the magistrate's name from the case.

This move came after the judge pointed out that the case did not sufficiently identify the magistrate in question. Nnakwu urged the court, "We ask my lord to remove the name of the second defendant from the case."

Other parties involved, including representatives from the police, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), did not oppose the motion.

Justice Abdulmalik granted the request, striking the magistrate's name from the case and also dismissing the associated previously filed motion. Nevertheless, when El-Rufai's counsel requested additional time to revise the lawsuit, ICPC lawyer Abdul Mohammed contested this, arguing the exclusion of the magistrate leaves the court with no ongoing case.

In response, the judge stated, "Counsel, you are preempting this. You may submit a counter-affidavit for this matter." The case was then adjourned until June 17, allowing the plaintiff the opportunity to amend the suit as necessary.

El-Rufai is seeking N1 billion in damages from various parties, such as the ICPC, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, regarding a search conducted at his residence in Abuja.

In his court action, he contended that the search infringed upon his constitutional rights, encompassing dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy. He has requested the court to label the search illegal, declare any evidence gleaned from it as inadmissible, and mandate the return of items that were confiscated.

On the other hand, the ICPC defended its actions, asserting that they were conducted under a legitimate search warrant issued by a competent court, and were carried out according to established legal protocols.

The police also defended their actions, stating they acted within their legal boundaries and adhered to all appropriate protocols. The legal proceedings continue as both parties gear up for further argumentation.