Court Dismisses El-Rufai’s Suit to Restrain ICPC, DSS from Freezing Accounts, Seizing Assets
The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a fundamental rights suit filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, seeking to prevent anti-corruption and security agencies from freezing his bank accounts or seizing his properties.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik dismissed the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/368/2026, describing it as an abuse of court process, speculative and lacking in merit.
The judge upheld the respondents’ argument that El-Rufai had instituted similar suits before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory and the Federal High Court, rendering the fresh action an abuse of court process.
She also held that the court could not be used to prevent law enforcement agencies from performing their statutory duties.
El-Rufai had instituted the suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
However, Justice Abdulmalik held that the suit disclosed no reasonable cause of action against the EFCC, DSS and the Attorney-General of the Federation, consequently striking out their names as respondents.
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The suit was filed on February 24, 2026, by the former governor’s counsel, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN.
In the application, El-Rufai sought interim and perpetual injunctions restraining the respondents from freezing, attaching, seizing, forfeiting or otherwise interfering with his bank accounts and properties pending the determination of the substantive suit.
He also asked the court to direct the respondents to maintain the status quo to prevent any irreversible action before the resolution of the case.
The former governor argued that the severance benefits he received after serving as Kaduna State governor from 2015 to 2023 could not reasonably be suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.
He further sought a declaration that properties acquired with the benefits were lawfully purchased and belonged to him.
In addition, El-Rufai demanded N1 billion in general, exemplary and aggravated damages over what he described as the anticipated violation of his fundamental rights, psychological trauma, distress, anxiety and reputational damage arising from the alleged threat of unlawful forfeiture proceedings.
He also sought N100 million in litigation costs to cover legal fees and other associated expenses.
The dismissal marks a setback for El-Rufai’s attempt to obtain judicial protection against the anticipated freezing of his bank accounts and seizure of his assets.
By PRNigeria
