Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has launched a fresh legal battle against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), filing a N10 billion fundamental rights suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The suit, filed on August 13, 2026, alleges that ICPC officials physically restrained his wife and son from visiting him while he is in custody.

El-Rufai's legal action comes after an incident on July 7, when his wife, Aichatou Asabe, and son, Abba El-Rufai, attempted to visit him at the ICPC's Abuja office. According to the former governor, they were met with intimidation and physical restraint by ICPC officers, which he claims violated his rights to family and spousal relationships.

In his suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1852/2026, El-Rufai has named the ICPC chairman and the Attorney-General of the Federation as co-defendants. He argues that prior to the incident, his wife had been visiting him regularly, bringing food, clothing, and medication without any issues. The former governor contends that the denial of access has caused him significant emotional distress and humiliation.

El-Rufai's Principal Secretary, Mohammed Shaba, has filed an affidavit supporting the claims, stating that Asabe informed him of the incident shortly after it occurred. Furthermore, he referenced a previous court order by Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Kaduna, which mandated that detainees should have access to their lawyers and personal physicians, underscoring a broader legal principle that detainees should not be isolated from the outside world.

The suit seeks nine specific reliefs, including a declaration that El-Rufai's fundamental rights under the 1999 Constitution remain enforceable despite his current detention. He is also requesting a court order for the ICPC to grant him unrestricted access to his family and legal counsel throughout his detention period.

This marks the second significant legal action El-Rufai has taken against the ICPC in 2026. Earlier in the year, he filed a N1 billion suit challenging the validity of a search warrant used in a raid on his Abuja residence, asserting that it violated his rights to dignity, personal liberty, and privacy.

El-Rufai is currently facing charges in another case, FHC/KD/73C/2025, where the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the complainant. The ongoing legal challenges have drawn attention, with political figures expressing concern over his health and the implications of his detention as the country approaches the 2027 general elections. Recently, Bolaji Abdullahi, the national publicity secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), warned that President Bola Tinubu would bear responsibility for any harm that may come to El-Rufai while in custody, highlighting the political undertones of the situation.