Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Thursday conducted a search at the residence of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, as part of an ongoing probe into alleged financial improprieties linked to his time in office.
The development was made public by El-Rufai’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, who disclosed the operation in a post on X.
Reacting to the action, a member of the former governor’s legal team, Ubong Akpan, described the search as a breach of due process and an infringement on his client’s fundamental rights.
As of the time of filing this report, the ICPC had not issued any official statement confirming the search.
This latest development comes shortly after El-Rufai was taken into ICPC custody on Wednesday night. His detention followed his earlier release on administrative bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The situation is connected to fresh criminal charges filed by the Federal Government at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The case centers on allegations that El-Rufai unlawfully intercepted the telephone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The charges, referenced as FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, were brought under provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act and the Nigerian Communications Act.
According to court documents, the government alleged that during a televised interview on February 13, 2026, El-Rufai acknowledged that an associate illegally intercepted the NSA’s phone conversations and that he had listened to them. The interview reportedly aired on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme in Abuja.
The three-count charge accuses him of admitting involvement in unlawful interception, associating with an individual who committed the offence without reporting it, and allegedly using technical equipment within Abuja to intercept communications.
The charges stem from comments he made during a recent television appearance, where he claimed he became aware of a purported plan to arrest him after receiving information from a leaked phone conversation involving the NSA.
This follows earlier updates published by Crystal Blog Media regarding El-Rufai’s detention by the ICPC.