ICPC Seeks Court Approval To Extend El-Rufai Detention

An Abuja Magistrate Court is expected to rule on Tuesday, March 17, on an application by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) seeking an additional 14 days to keep former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El‑Rufai, in custody.

The presiding magistrate, Okechukwu Akweke, had last week adjourned proceedings to allow the court consider the anti-graft agency’s request for an extension of the remand order.

Nasir El‑Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 18, 2026, over allegations bordering on money laundering and the unlawful interception of communications belonging to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The Commission had earlier secured a 14-day remand order from a Magistrate Court in Bwari, Abuja, on February 19, 2026, to detain the former governor while investigations continued. The order reportedly expired on March 5.

Following the expiration of the remand order, El-Rufai’s lawyers, family members and supporters criticised his continued detention, arguing that it had become unlawful.

They maintained that once the order lapsed, the commission ought to have either released him or arraigned him before a competent court.

According to them, holding the former governor without a valid court order constitutes a violation of his constitutional rights.

In response, El-Rufai filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, challenging what he described as his prolonged and unlawful detention.

Joined as defendants in the suit are the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Services (DSS), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Office of the Attorney‑General of the Federation.

The former governor is asking the court to declare his continued detention illegal and order his immediate release.

However, the ICPC has rejected claims that it breached El-Rufai’s fundamental rights.

The Commission insists it obtained a valid remand order from the court and argues that such orders can be renewed while investigations are ongoing.

The anti-corruption agency is therefore seeking a fresh order to extend El-Rufai’s detention as it concludes its investigation, with the court expected to determine the application on Tuesday.