Following the 19th February 2026 search of his residence by officials of the ICPC, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has asked a Federal High Court to declare the search warrant as invalid. The case, which seeks the enforcement of his fundamental rights, named as respondents the ICPC, the Chief Magistrate of the FCT, the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The case is seeking a declaration:
• That the search warrant is invalid, for lack of particularity, material drafting errors, ambiguity in execution parameters, overbreadth and lack of probable cause.

• The invasion and search of his residence based on an invalid search warrant amounts to a gross violation of his fundamental human rights to dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing and privacy under Sections 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the Constitution.

• Any evidence obtained pursuant to the invalid warrant and unlawful search is not admissible in any proceedings against him as it was obtained in breach of constitutional safeguards.

Malam El-Rufai is also seeking an injunction restraining the respondents from using or tendering any evidence or items seized during unlawful search in any proceedings involving him. He is seeking an order for the return of all items obtained during the search, and an order for various damages.

According to the court filing “the search warrant is fundamentally defective, lacking specificity in the description of items to be seized, containing material typographical errors, ambiguous execution terms, overbroad directives, and no verifiable probable cause, in contravention of Sections 143-148 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 (ACJA), Section 36 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 (ICPC Act), an constitutional protections against arbitrary intrusions. “

Malam El-Rufai’s lawyers contend that:
• Section 143 of the ACJA requires that an application for a search warrant be supported by information in writing and on oath, setting forth reasonable grounds for suspicion, which was absent here as evidenced by the incomplete initiating clause;

• Section 144 mandates particular descriptions of the place to be searched and the items sought, to prevent general warrants, yet the warrant vaguely refers to “the thing aforesaid” without any detail;

• Section 146 stipulates that the warrant must be in the prescribed form, free from defects that could mislead, but the document is riddled with errors in the address, date, and district designation;

• Section 147 allows direction to specified persons, but the warrant’s indiscriminate addressing to “all” officers is overbroad and unaccountable;

• Section 148 permits execution at reasonable times, but the contradictory language creates ambiguity, undermining procedural clarity.

Signed
Muyiwa Adekeye
Media Adviser
23rd February 2026

Imo State Police Commissioner, Audu Garba Bosso, has paid an official visit to the Nigeria Naval Base Oguta, with the aim of reinforcing security coordination and strengthening synergy between the force and the Nigerian Navy in the State.

On the visit, CP Bosso emphasised the importance of sustained collaboration among security agencies to effectively address security threats across the State.

He also solicited for continued operational support and strengthened intelligence sharing to bolster joint security efforts.

In his response, the Commander, Naval Base Oguta, Commodore S.T. Lengaya, assured the CP of the Nigerian Navy’s continued support for joint efforts aimed at maintaining peace, stability, and the protection of critical assets across the State.

‎He added that the meeting will strengthen existing collaboration frameworks and reaffirmed the shared resolve of both agencies to safeguard lives and property in the State.

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, against N941, 994, 079 for reasons of forfeiture of the money to the federal government.

The angry Judge threw away the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/156/2026 in FRN Vs N941, 994, 079 on ground of being grossly incompetent and non justiceable.

ICPC had through its counsel, Mr Hamza Sani sought to move an ex-parte application praying for forfeiture of the huge sum to the federal government, having been allegedly found to be proceed of unlawful transaction in a bank account.