The family of former Nasir El-Rufai, governor of Kaduna State, has called for his immediate and unconditional release from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), insisting that his continued detention has no legal basis.
In a statement issued by the family and signed by his son, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, they said the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory remains in ICPC custody despite the expiration of the legal order that initially permitted his detention.
According to the statement, El-Rufai was first taken into custody on February 18, 2026, after responding to an invitation from the anti-graft agency.
The family said a magistrate’s court subsequently issued a remand order on February 19 allowing the ICPC to detain him for 14 days pending investigation.
However, it argued that the detention period had elapsed and that the commission had neither filed charges in a competent court nor obtained a fresh order authorising his continued detention.
“As of today, there is no valid legal instrument authorising his detention,” the family said, describing the situation as unlawful and calling on the anti-corruption agency to release him immediately.
The statement comes amid a growing legal and political dispute following a raid on El-Rufai’s residence in Abuja by ICPC officials.
Operatives of the agency searched the former governor’s home in the FCT on February 19, shortly after confirming that he was in custody in connection with an ongoing investigation.
His media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, said the officials arrived at the residence around 2 p.m. and conducted a search of the property.
El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, criticised the operation, describing it as unlawful and a violation of established legal procedures and fundamental rights.
The ICPC had earlier confirmed that the former governor was being held in connection with an ongoing investigation but did not disclose specific details of the case.
The search of the residence triggered further legal action from El-Rufai, who subsequently filed a ₦1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the commission over what he described as an unlawful invasion of his Abuja home.
Through his legal team led by Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), the former governor is asking the court to declare the search warrant used by the anti-graft agency invalid and unconstitutional.
He argued that the warrant lacked specificity and violated his constitutional rights to dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing and privacy.
The case has attracted significant political attention, particularly following El-Rufai’s recent criticism of the Federal Government and his growing alignment with opposition forces within the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Despite the ongoing investigations and legal proceedings, the former governor’s family insists that the ICPC must either formally charge him in court or release him, warning that continued detention without lawful authority undermines due process and the rule of law.
