Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has formally submitted a petition and pre-action notice to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), demanding N15.6 billion in damages over what he called his illegal detention and other alleged rights violations.
The petition, dated March 4, 2026, was prepared by the law firm of Ubong Akpan and delivered to the ICPC headquarters in Abuja.
El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since he was granted bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 18, 2026.
This is not the first time El-Rufai has had a legal clash with the anti-graft agency. He had earlier filed a N1 billion fundamental rights suit against the ICPC after operatives raided his home.
In the current petition, El-Rufai is seeking N15.6 billion in damages for alleged offences including defamation, abuse of office, forgery and use of false documents, malicious prosecution, contempt of court, and violation of his fundamental rights.
Lawyer Ubong Akpan called an earlier ICPC statement about El-Rufai “reckless, defamatory and legally untenable.”
The petition says in part: “It is with profound regret, yet resolute determination, that we address you. The Commission, established by law to combat corruption and uphold the highest standards of integrity, has descended into what can only be described as a circus of chicanery, theatrical posturing and media trial. Your press statement of today is not a communication from a law enforcement agency; it is the frantic scribbling of an organisation that has been caught with its hands in the cookie jar of illegality and is now desperately attempting to justify the unjustifiable.
“We place you on notice: this letter is not a press release; it is a formal pre-action notice. It is the final courtesy extended to you before we unleash the full weight of the law upon your institution for the catalogue of crimes, torts and constitutional violations detailed below.”
The petition details the damages sought from the ICPC as follows:
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Compensatory damages: N5,000,000,000
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Exemplary/Punitive damages: N5,000,000,000
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Aggravated damages: N5,000,000,000
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Damages for injurious falsehood: N500,000,000
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Cost of action: N100,000,000
Total: N15,600,000,000.
