The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission permission to access and analyse electronic devices recovered from the residence of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir Ahmad El‑Rufai.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik approved the request on Thursday after hearing an ex parte application filed by ICPC counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha.
While moving the application, the lawyer asked the court to allow the commission to open and examine the electronic devices for inspection, forensic analysis and extraction of relevant data as part of an ongoing investigation involving the former governor.
The devices were among several items recovered by ICPC operatives during a search conducted at El-Rufai’s residence in Abuja.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik authorised the anti-graft agency to access and analyse the contents of the devices, including public documents, WhatsApp conversations, text messages, photographs, call logs and other digital information that may assist in the investigation.
The items listed in the court order include several storage and communication devices such as a Sony HD-EGS storage device, a 1TB Transcend storage device, a Toshiba storage device, a Samsung mobile phone, a Nokia N95 8GB phone, a Blackberry phone and a Google IDEOS mobile phone.
Other devices include a Samsung storage device (SPO802N), a Remarkable tablet, an Apple MacBook Pro, a Seagate FreeAgent Desk external drive, a ZTE mobile phone, ten flash drives and a Microcell memory card.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/499/2026, is filed between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai.
Justice Abdulmalik held that the commission was entitled to examine the items seized during the investigation for the purpose of forensic analysis.
Meanwhile, El-Rufai has filed a separate suit before the same court challenging the legality of the search conducted at his residence and demanding N1 billion in damages.
In the fundamental rights enforcement suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, the former governor listed the ICPC, the Chief Magistrate of the Magistrate Court of the Federal Capital Territory, the Nigeria Police Force and the Office of the Attorney‑General of the Federation as respondents.
Through his lawyer, Oluwole Iyamu, El-Rufai is asking the court to declare that the search carried out at his residence on February 19 violated his fundamental rights.
He argued that the operation breached his rights to dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing and privacy as guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution.
The former governor also urged the court to declare that any evidence obtained during the search should be considered inadmissible in any legal proceedings against him. He further asked the court to restrain the authorities from relying on the seized items in any investigation or prosecution.
El-Rufai is also seeking an order directing the authorities to return all items recovered from his residence along with a detailed inventory, in addition to demanding N1 billion as general, exemplary and aggravated damages for the alleged violation of his rights.
However, in its counter-affidavit, the ICPC maintained that the search was conducted based on a petition submitted against the former governor which prompted an investigation.
The commission said its operatives acted on a valid search warrant issued on February 18 and executed on February 19 between 1:37pm and 3:56pm at El-Rufai’s residence.
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According to the agency, the operation was carried out in the presence of police officers and witnessed by El-Rufai’s wife, Hadiza El‑Rufai, and his son, Mohammed El‑Rufai.
The police also defended the search in a separate affidavit filed by Inspector Ewa Anthony, arguing that the operation was conducted lawfully under a valid court-issued warrant.
According to the police, officers followed all required legal procedures while executing the warrant and described El-Rufai’s lawsuit as an attempt to shield himself from investigation and possible prosecution.
Both the ICPC and the police urged the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety.
