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The Federal High Court in Abuja has authorised the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to access and analyse several electronic devices seized from the residence of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik granted the order following an ex parte application, allowing investigators to extract data from a wide array of equipment, including storage drives, smartphones, a MacBook Pro, and several flash drives.
This forensic examination will cover private communications such as WhatsApp messages, call logs, and text messages as part of an ongoing corruption investigation.
While the anti-graft agency moves forward with its digital search, El-Rufai has launched a legal counter-offensive.
He filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit seeking 1 billion Naira in damages, arguing that the raid on his Abuja home violated his constitutional rights to privacy and dignity.
His legal team is asking the court to declare the search illegal and to prohibit the ICPC from using any evidence obtained during the operation in future proceedings.
The ICPC and the Nigeria Police Force have defended their actions, maintaining that the search was conducted under a valid warrant issued by a competent court.
According to the commission, the operation was prompted by a formal petition and was witnessed by members of El-Rufai’s family.
Law enforcement officials have urged the court to dismiss the former governor’s suit, characterising it as an attempt to evade investigation and shield himself from potential prosecution.
