Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has filed a fresh N10 billion suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The ex-governor instituted the suit against the ICPC for allegedly preventing him from having access to his wife, Mrs Aichatou Asabe, and son, Abba El-Rufai, while in custody.
El-Rufai, in the suit filed by his lawyer, Ubong Akpan, also named the ICPC chairman and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as 2nd and 3rd defendants.
The originating motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1852/2026 and filed on Aug. 13, was sighted on Sunday by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
The detained ex-governor, who alleged that his wife and son were denied to see him, sought nine reliefs. He prayed the court to declare that his fundamental human rights guaranteed under Part IV of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) remain inviolable and in force notwithstanding his detention by the commission and should be honoured.
He prayed the court to declare that his repeated refusal and/or prevention from access to his family members while in custody, particularly to provide him with food, medication and other necessities, without any lawful justification or court order, breached his rights.
He said these rights are guaranteed under Sections 34 and 37 of the Constitution and Articles 5 and 18 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
El-Rufai sought a declaration that the physical restraint, intimidation and treatment meted out to Asabe and Abba by ICPC’s officers on July 7, as well as their alleged arbitrary interference with the spousal and filial relationship, amounted to a violation and breach of his right to the dignity of the person as well as his right to private and family life.
He sought “a declaration that the respondents’ continued denial of family access without lawful authority is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.
