ICPC Details Items Seized from El-Rufai’s Abuja Residence

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has disclosed a list of documents and electronic devices allegedly recovered from the Abuja home of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

The agency provided the details in court filings before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, opposing a ₦1 billion fundamental rights suit filed by El-Rufai. The former governor is contesting what he described as his unlawful arrest, detention, and the search of his residence last month.

According to ICPC, the search was carried out under a valid warrant issued on February 18 and executed the following day between 1:37 pm and 3:56 pm at 12 Mambilla Street, Asokoro, Abuja. The operation included personnel from the Nigeria Police Force and was witnessed by El-Rufai’s wife, Hadiza El-Rufai, and their son, Mohammed El-Rufai.

Items reportedly recovered include:

* Investor account statements, asset declaration forms, corporate compliance records, business registration certificates, client KYC files, and documents linked to the African Democratic Congress welfare secretary.

* Records of domestic and foreign loans approved by the Kaduna State House of Assembly from 2015 to 2023, interim investigation reports, Ecobank Nigeria Plc share certificates, land documents, student financial service records, and property-related legal instruments including deeds of assignment and irrevocable powers of attorney.

* Materials from Afri-Venture Capital Company, payment mandates, and media or publicity materials from the former governor’s office.

Electronic devices listed include nine flash drives, one memory card, seven hard drives, multiple laptops including Apple MacBook Pro and Elumac Book Pro models, mobile phones such as Blackberry, Nokia N95, Toshiba, Samsung IDEOS, Google IDEOS, a Remarkable tablet, and other unspecified devices. ICPC said all items were sealed for forensic analysis and fully documented, including serial numbers and storage details.

The commission noted that El-Rufai indicated he did not grant consent to access any of the devices found in his home. ICPC affirmed that the items would be examined as part of ongoing investigations into alleged corruption and asset concealment.

In response, El-Rufai’s family denied wrongdoing and questioned the validity of the search. In a statement signed by his son, Bello El-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives, the family described their relative’s silence during interrogation as an exercise of constitutional rights rather than an admission of guilt. They also disputed the scope of items recovered, asserting that only personal effects were taken.

The family further claimed the search warrant was invalid and is being legally challenged.

El-Rufai, who left office in 2023, has faced multiple investigations, including a 2024 probe by the Kaduna State House of Assembly into alleged misappropriation of ₦423 billion during his administration. He has previously been arrested by the State Security Service and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

ICPC maintains that its actions were lawful and consistent with its mandate to investigate corruption and related offences.