ICPC Denies Seeking New Remand Order For El-Rufai

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said it did not seek any new remand order to keep former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai.

The ICPC said the clarification was as a result of false media report that it was in the court on Tuesday seeking for an order to keep detaining El-Rufai.

The ICPC, while clarifying the legal status of the detention of El-Rufai, stated that it did not seek a fresh extension of his remand during court proceedings in Abuja on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 as its appearance in court was strictly for the hearing of an application filed by El-Rufai on March 6, 2026, seeking to overturn the court order issued on March 5, 2026, which renewed his remand in custody.

In a statement signed by its head of media and public communication, John Odey, the ICPC said it became necessary to correct what it described as inaccurate reports by some media outlets claiming that the agency appeared in court to obtain another detention order against El-Rufai.

The EFCC disclosed that during the proceedings, counsel to the former governor was served with the ICPC’s response to the application. After receiving the response, the defence lawyer requested an adjournment to allow time to prepare a reply.

Consequently, the Magistrate adjourned the hearing of the application to March 31, 2026, to enable El-Rufai’s legal team to react adequately to the Commission’s submission.

The ICPC, while providing a timeline of the court-authorised detention of El-Rufai , noted that an initial remand order was granted to the commission 14 days to detain El-Rufai while investigating allegations of money laundering and abuse of office.

Upon the expiration of that order, the commission applied for an additional 14-day extension to conclude its investigations. The court granted this request on March 5, 2026.

The agency also revealed that El-Rufai’s counsel had earlier attempted to set aside the original remand order issued on February 19, 2026, but the application was dismissed on March 9, 2026.

The ICPC emphasized that El-Rufai remains in lawful custody under the subsisting remand order of March 5, 2026, stressing that the detention was duly authorized by a competent court of law.

It added that the Commission is strictly complying with the court-mandated timeline governing the detention, including the requirement to submit periodic progress reports on the investigation, in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.