Lawyers to former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai have accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of making unverified claims linking his client to multi-billion-naira properties in Egypt.
In a statement released in Abuja on Monday, El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Esop Akpan, said the claims are based on anonymous “leaks” and lack concrete evidence.
He argued that the reports are being circulated to justify what he calls the unlawful detention of the former governor.
Akpan described the ICPC’s actions as “a fabricated narrative, devoid of verifiable evidence and reliant on shadowy ‘sources.”
He said the situation is less about an investigation and more about a smear campaign intended to support the continued detention of a citizen who has committed no crime.
“It exemplifies the ICPC’s transformation from an anti-corruption agency into a criminal enterprise, perpetrating prosecutorial misconduct, hostage-taking, and violations of fundamental rights in pursuit of a failed agenda of political persecution”.
The lawyer said El-Rufai had voluntarily reported to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 16 and was granted administrative bail.
Two days later, he was taken into custody by operatives reportedly acting under the Department of State Services (DSS).
Akpan said El-Rufai has remained in detention since February 18 without being formally charged in court.
The lawyer argued that this violates Section 35 of Nigeria’s Constitution, which guarantees personal liberty and requires suspects to be presented before a court within a reasonable time.
Akpan also questioned the validity of a remand order reportedly issued on February 19, saying it expired on March 4 and was never served on the defense team.
Part of the statement reads: “The ICPC’s resort to anonymous media plants, rather than judicial process, betrays their fear of scrutiny and underscores their complicity in forgery (Section 363) and using forged documents (Section 364) to perpetuate this injustice.
“We have initiated criminal complaint proceedings against the Chairman, the DSS Director General, and other implicated officers, seeking their personal accountability for these crimes.
“The ICPC cannot operate as both accuser and incarcerator, detaining citizens indefinitely without due process while peddling falsehoods to deflect from their own criminality. We demand the immediate release of Mallam El-Rufai or his arraignment before a court of competent jurisdiction”.
KanyiDaily recalls that the ICPC said it recovered devices believed to be used for intercepting phone conversations, along with classified security documents, from the Abuja residence of Nasir el-Rufai.
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