Nigeria: El-Rufai's Lawyer Flays ICPC Over Egypt Property Claims

10 March 2026
Daily Trust (Abuja)
By John Chuks Azu

Ubong Esop Akpan, counsel to former Kaduna State governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of engaging in political persecution.

Akpan's remarks followed reports suggesting that El-Rufai owns multi-billion-naira properties in Egypt, allegedly uncovered during the commission's probe of his tenure as governor.

In a statement on Monday, Akpan described the allegations as "baseless anonymous leaks" aimed at justifying what he called the unlawful detention of his client.

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He argued that the media reports rely on unnamed sources and lack verifiable evidence.

He said the claims are part of a coordinated smear campaign designed to discredit El-Rufai and garner public support for his continued detention.

The lawyer stated that El-Rufai has been in custody since the night of February 18, 2026, after operatives, allegedly acting under the direction of the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), took him from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He explained that the former governor had voluntarily presented himself to the EFCC on February 16 and was granted administrative bail before being transferred to the ICPC.

Akpan maintained that the detention, which has lasted for more than 20 days without formal charges, violates Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, which requires suspects to be arraigned within a reasonable time.

He also questioned the validity of a 14-day remand order reportedly issued by a magistrate court on February 19, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction.

He added that the order expired on March 4 and was never served on El-Rufai or his legal team.

The lawyer said El-Rufai has repeatedly challenged the ICPC to file charges in court if credible evidence exists.

He further revealed that the legal team has initiated criminal complaint proceedings against the ICPC chairman and other officials allegedly involved in the matter.

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