KADUNA, NIGERIA – Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has withdrawn his fundamental rights enforcement suit against an Abuja chief magistrate in his N1 billion claim before the Federal High Court.
Okay New reports that at the hearing, his counsel, Ugochukwu Nnakwu, informed the court presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that a motion had been filed to discontinue the case against the magistrate, who was originally listed as the second defendant. The lawyer subsequently urged the court to strike out the magistrate’s name from the suit, alongside a pending motion seeking substituted service of court processes.
Counsel to the respondents — including the police, the attorney-general of the federation, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) — did not oppose the application, paving the way for the court to grant the request.
In a brief ruling, Justice Abdulmalik struck out the magistrate’s name and the ex parte motion from the case. Following this, el-Rufai’s counsel applied for an adjournment to amend the originating processes, but the request was challenged by the ICPC’s lawyer, Abdul Mohammed, who argued that the core claims in the suit were tied to the magistrate’s actions, particularly the issuance of the search warrant.
Despite the objection, the judge directed that formal responses be filed. “Counsel, you are jumping the gun. You can respond to this by filing a counter affidavit,” she said. The matter was subsequently adjourned to June 17 to allow the plaintiff amend his filings.
El-Rufai had filed the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026 against the ICPC, the chief magistrate of the FCT, the inspector-general of police, and the attorney-general of the federation. He is seeking N1 billion in damages over what he described as an unlawful search of his residence in Abuja on February 19.
The former governor is asking the court to declare that the search violated his fundamental rights, including dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy as guaranteed by the constitution.
He also sought an order declaring that “any evidence obtained pursuant to the aforesaid invalid warrant and unlawful search is inadmissible in any proceedings against the applicant, as it was procured in breach of constitutional safeguards”.
Additionally, el-Rufai requested the court to restrain the respondents from relying on items recovered during the search and to compel authorities to return all seized property.
In response, the ICPC maintained that the operation was carried out based on a valid warrant issued a day earlier, adding that its operatives conducted the search in the presence of el-Rufai’s family members. The police also argued that due process was followed and urged the court to dismiss the suit.
