‘ICPC Are Ignoring Bail Application’ – El-Rufai Aide Gives Updates on Ex-Governor’s Detention

An aide to former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has raised fresh concerns over his continued detention by anti-graft agencies.

In a statement released on Monday, his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, said the former governor has remained in custody for eight days after honouring an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Adekeye disclosed that El-Rufai was initially held by the EFCC before being transferred to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) on the night of Wednesday, February 18.

He alleged that the ICPC has failed to respond to a bail application submitted by El-Rufai’s legal team since February 19.

According to him, the lawyers have also not been shown any remand order authorising the former governor’s continued detention, despite the expiration of the constitutional 48-hour window for holding a suspect without charge.

Adekeye said this week would be critical, as two court matters involving El-Rufai are scheduled to come up.

He revealed that a hearing in El-Rufai’s fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Federal Government, the ICPC, the EFCC and the Department of State Services (DSS) has been fixed for February 25 before the FCT High Court.

The suit is seeking an order admitting the former governor to bail.

On the same day, El-Rufai is also expected to be arraigned on charges filed by the DSS, which his aide described as “widely publicised.”

The statement further disclosed that El-Rufai has approached a Federal High Court to challenge the legality of a search carried out at his Aso Drive residence by ICPC officials on February 19.

His legal team is asking the court to declare the search warrant invalid due to what they called drafting errors, lack of specificity and absence of probable cause.

They are also seeking an order restraining authorities from using any items recovered during the search in any criminal proceedings against him.

Adekeye said ICPC officials interrogated El-Rufai on February 19 and 20, after which an application for bail was submitted. No response has been received since then.

He quoted El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, as condemning the search of the residence as unlawful and a violation of due process.

The aide also provided details of El-Rufai’s earlier detention by the EFCC between February 16 and 18.

He said the former governor was granted administrative bail by the EFCC, with conditions including producing a serving federal permanent secretary as one of his sureties.

Despite this, he remained in custody while his lawyers applied for a variation of the bail terms.

Adekeye alleged that lawyers and family members faced difficulties accessing him during this period.

He added that one of El-Rufai’s wives was prevented from handing his meal to him directly on February 17 and was instructed to pass it through an official.

The statement also claimed that El-Rufai suffered a nose bleeding episode overnight while in custody.

On February 18, he was transferred from EFCC custody to the ICPC without being informed of the reason or destination, according to the aide.

The update also recalled an earlier incident at the airport on February 12 when El-Rufai returned to the country.

Adekeye said his passport was seized during what he described as a failed attempt to arrest him.

He noted that the incident was surprising because El-Rufai had already informed the only agency that invited him that he would appear at its office on February 16.

No official explanation has been given by any security agency over the airport incident, the aide added.

The statement also revealed that the ICPC had earlier written to El-Rufai to appear before it on February 13.

Through his lawyers, he proposed February 18, citing short notice and his scheduled appearance at the EFCC on February 16.

Adekeye said the former governor’s legal team is now seeking judicial intervention to secure his release and challenge what they described as repeated violations of his constitutional rights.

As court proceedings begin this week, the detention of the former Kaduna governor continues to attract political and legal attention nationwide.