The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has disclosed details of documents and electronic devices it said were recovered from the Abuja residence of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
The commission made the disclosure on Monday in court filings before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, where it is opposing a N1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by El-Rufai.
El-Rufai had approached the court, challenging what he described as his illegal arrest, detention, and the search of his residence last month.
In response, the ICPC asked the court to dismiss the suit. It insisted that its operatives acted based on a valid search warrant issued on February 18 and executed on February 19 at his residence located at 12 Mambilla Street, Asokoro, Abuja.
According to the commission, the search was carried out between 1:37 pm and 3:56 pm. It added that its officials were accompanied by officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
In the court documents, the ICPC listed several items it claimed were recovered during the search.
These included investor account statements, asset declaration forms, certificates of registration for business entities, corporate compliance records, and client Know-Your-Customer files.
The commission also said it recovered documents linked to the welfare secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as well as records of domestic and foreign loans approved by the Kaduna State House of Assembly between 2015 and 2023. El-Rufai served as governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023.
Other documents allegedly seized include interim investigation reports involving El-Rufai and some associates, Ecobank Nigeria Plc share certificates, land documents, student financial service papers, valuation reports, deeds of assignment, and powers of attorney for several properties.
The commission further listed Afri-Venture Capital Company documents, payment mandates, and media materials from the former governor’s office among the items recovered.
The ICPC said all materials were properly documented and sealed for forensic examination.
Apart from documents, the ICPC also listed several electronic devices allegedly seized from the property.
According to the court filings, these include nine flash drives, one memory card, seven hard drives, and multiple laptops. Among the laptops mentioned were Apple MacBook Pro and Elumac Book Pro models.
The commission also said it recovered several mobile phones, including Blackberry, Nokia N95, Toshiba, Samsung IDEOS, Google IDEOS, and 18 other devices. A Remarkable tablet with chargers was also reportedly seized.
The ICPC stated that a detailed Device Documentation Form was prepared during the search. The form, it said, captured serial numbers, storage details, and accessories of the gadgets.
The operation was said to have been witnessed by El-Rufai’s wife, Hadiza El-Rufai; his son, Mohammed El-Rufai; and two other individuals identified as Ajibade Abiodun and Asjuquo J.E.
However, the commission acknowledged that El-Rufai noted in the documentation that he did not grant consent for access to any of the devices found in his home.
The ICPC said the devices would undergo forensic examination as part of ongoing investigations into alleged corruption and asset concealment.
In a statement released on Monday, El-Rufai’s family accused the commission of trying to criminalise his silence during interrogation.
The statement was signed by his son, Bello El-Rufai, who is a member of the House of Representatives.
According to the statement, the former governor challenged the commission to charge him if there was evidence against him.
“Charge me, if you have anything against me. You have had more than two years to investigate me. Take me to court, please,” the statement quoted him as saying.
The family argued that his silence during questioning was an exercise of his constitutional right and not an admission of guilt. They described attempts to draw negative conclusions from his silence as unfair.
They also disputed the scope of items listed by the commission. According to them, only personal effects were taken during the search.
“We were present when these items were seized. No equipment other than old discarded personal mobile phones, storage devices like flash drives and laptops, were seized from the property,” the statement read.
The family further claimed that the search warrant used by the commission was invalid and fraudulently obtained. They said their lawyers have challenged the warrant in court.
Since leaving office in 2023, El-Rufai has faced several investigations.
In 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly called for a probe into the alleged diversion of N423 billion during his administration. The former governor has denied wrongdoing in previous statements.
He was also previously arrested by the State Security Service and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over separate matters.
Reports indicate that he remains in ICPC custody, and that his detention has delayed his arraignment on separate phone-tapping charges.
The ICPC, in its latest court filings, maintained that its actions were lawful and carried out within its statutory powers to investigate corruption and related offences.
The case is expected to continue at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, where the court will determine whether El-Rufai’s rights were violated and whether the search warrant was valid.
