A 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 El-Rufai.
The order was granted by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik after hearing an ex parte application filed by the ICPC through its counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha.
While moving the motion, the ICPC lawyer urged the court to allow the anti-graft agency to open and examine the devices for inspection, forensic examination and extraction of data as part of its ongoing investigation involving the former governor.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik authorised the commission to access and analyse the contents of the devices, including public documents, WhatsApp messages, text messages, pictures, call logs and other information stored in them.
The devices listed in the order include several storage drives, mobile phones, a tablet, an Apple MacBook Pro, external hard drives, flash drives and memory cards seized during a search conducted at El-Rufai’s Abuja residence.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/499/2026, is between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and El-Rufai.
Meanwhile, the former governor had filed a separate suit challenging the search of his residence, arguing that it violated his fundamental rights.
He is seeking a declaration that the operation was unlawful and is also demanding N1bn in damages.
El-Rufai also asked the court to declare that any evidence obtained during the search should not be used in any investigation or prosecution against him and requested that the seized items be returned.
The ICPC, however, maintained that the search was carried out based on a valid warrant and as part of an ongoing investigation.
