A Federal High Court in Abuja has permitted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to access and examine several electronic devices recovered from the Abuja residence of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
The Court granted the order on Thursday, March 11, in a ruling delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on an ex parte application filed by the ICPC and presented by its counsel, Dr Osuobeni Akponimisingha.
New Telegraph reports that the anti-corruption agency had sought the court’s approval to inspect and carry out forensic analysis on about 14 electronic devices seized during a search conducted at El-Rufai’s residence in Abuja.
According to the commission, the request forms part of its ongoing investigation involving the former governor.
The items listed for examination include a Sony HD-EGS storage device, an ITB Transcend storage device, a Toshiba storage device, a Samsung mobile phone, a Nokia mobile phone (N958GB), a Blackberry mobile phone and a Google IDEOS phone.
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Other devices mentioned in the court documents are a Samsung storage device (SPO802N), a Remarkable tablet, an Apple MacBook Pro (black), a Seagate Freeagent Desk external drive, a ZTE mobile phone, 10 flash drives and a Microcell memory card.
In granting the request, Justice Abdulmalik stated: “It is hereby ordered as follows: That the applicant, i.e. the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is forthwith granted access to: (1) SONY HD-EGS Storage Device (2) ITB TRANSCEND STORAGE DEVICE (3) TOSHIBA STORAGE DEVICE (4) SAMSUNG MOBILE PHONE (5) NOKIA MOBILE PHONE-N958GB (6) BLACK BERRY MOBILE PHONE DEVICE (7) GOOGLE IDEOS PHONE (8) SAMSUNG STORAGE DEVICE-SPO802N (9) REMARKABLE TABLET (10) Apple Macbook Pro-Black (11) SEAGATE FREEAGENT DESK EXTERNAL DRIVE (12) ZTE Mobile Phone (13) 10 Pieces of Flash Drives (14) Microcell Memory Card of the respondent (Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai) for inspection, forensic examination, forensic extraction of data i.e. public documents, WhatsApp conversations, text messages, pictures, call logs and related information and analyse same forensically or otherwise from the said electronic devices which were seized in the course of investigation for purpose of investigation activity.”
Meanwhile, El-Rufai has already approached the same court to challenge the legality of the search carried out at his residence.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, the former governor is demanding N1 billion in damages and questioning the validity of the search warrant used by investigators.
He named the ICPC, the Chief Magistrate of the Magistrate’s Court of the Federal Capital Territory, the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation as respondents in the case.
The former governor is asking the court to declare that the warrant issued on February 4 by the FCT Magistrate’s Court authorising the search of his home and the seizure of items was invalid and unconstitutional.
El-Rufai is also requesting a declaration that the warrant is “null and void for lack of particularity, material drafting errors, ambiguity in execution parameters, overbreadth, and absence of probable cause, thereby constituting an unlawful and unreasonable search in violation of Section 37 of the Constitution.”
He further argued that the search conducted at his residence on Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja, on February 19 by operatives of the ICPC and the police violated his fundamental rights.
According to him, the operation amounted to a breach of his rights to the dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing and privacy as guaranteed under Sections 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the Constitution.
The former governor is therefore seeking an order directing the respondents to jointly and severally pay him N1 billion as damages for what he described as unlawful invasion, seizure of property and the resulting emotional distress and reputational damage.
