The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has told the court that it recovered suspected wiretapping devices and sensitive security documents from the Abuja home of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
The commission made the disclosure in documents filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where El-Rufai is challenging his detention and asking the court to enforce his fundamental human rights.
According to the ICPC, the items were discovered during a search conducted at El-Rufai’s residence at No. 12 Mambila Street, Aso Drive, Asokoro District, Abuja. The agency said the operation was carried out with a duly signed search warrant and in the presence of his wife, Hadiza Isma el-Rufai, and his son, Hon. Mohammed Bello el-Rufai.
In its filings, the anti-graft agency said it later confronted the former governor with the retrieved materials during preliminary investigations but claimed he declined to make any statement, choosing to remain silent until he appears before a court.
The ICPC also alleged that one of El-Rufai’s aides linked to the matter had fled the country, while another potential prosecution witness wrote to the commission requesting protection over alleged threats.
The commission denied claims that El-Rufai’s detention was arbitrary or politically motivated. It insisted that it acted within the law after obtaining a remand order from a Magistrate Court in Bwari, FCT, authorising his detention for 14 days. The order, it said, will expire on March 5, 2026.
Providing a timeline of events, the ICPC stated that on February 18, 2026, at about 7 p.m., El-Rufai was released to the Department of State Services (DSS) by the EFCC for onward transfer to the commission. The following day, February 19, 2026, it secured the remand order to keep him in custody pending further investigation.
The agency further told the court that it executed the search warrant on February 19, 2026. During the search, it allegedly recovered electronic magnetic equipment said to be capable of intercepting telephone conversations, as well as documents described as sensitive materials belonging to various security agencies.
The commission claimed that El-Rufai had, during an interview on Arise Television, admitted to tapping telephone conversations of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. It said he was asked to sign a consent form to enable investigators access the retrieved equipment, but he refused. A copy of the consent form was attached to the court filing as Exhibit ICPC 5.
The ICPC said it began investigating the former governor after receiving a petition alleging corrupt practices during his tenure as a two-term governor of Kaduna State. It stated that preliminary investigations led to the retrieval of documents from banks and government institutions.
According to the commission, several formal invitations were sent to El-Rufai to respond to the allegations and confront him with the documents obtained, but the efforts were unsuccessful. On February 5, 2026, the agency said it received information about his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and sought the assistance of the Department of State Services to arrest him, though that attempt did not succeed.
The ICPC said it later located his residence in Abuja and personally served him an invitation letter to appear before the commission on February 13, 2026. Through his lawyers, he reportedly requested to honour the invitation on February 18, 2026.
Before that date, however, El-Rufai was said to have responded to an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where he was detained. Although he was later granted administrative bail, the commission said he was unable to meet the bail conditions and remained in EFCC custody until he was transferred.
The ICPC also outlined several corruption allegations under investigation. These include questions over the whereabouts of €1.4 million, 180 suspicious payments totalling N2,158,799,199 allegedly moved from a Consolidated Revenue Account linked to Kaduna State’s Internally Generated Revenue account, and transfers of public funds to undisclosed accounts.
The case is expected to continue as the court considers El-Rufai’s application challenging his detention and the commission pursues its investigation.
