Lawyer Denies Reports Linking El-Rufai To Egypt Properties

Former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Esop Akpan, has said no multi-billion naira properties in Egypt was linked to his client, accusing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of fabricating narrative to justify El-Rufai’s ongoing unlawful detention.

In a statement issued on Monday by El-Rufai’s lawyer Akpan and made available to LEADERSHIP, the former governor said the ICPC’s resort to anonymous media plants, rather than judicial process, betrays their fear of scrutiny and underscores their complicity in ,”forgery (Section 363) and using forged documents (Section 364) to perpetuate this injustice.”

The statement reads,” “The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has once again exposed its descent into a tool of political vendetta through the dissemination of baseless, anonymous “leaks” alleging multi-billion naira properties in Egypt linked to my client, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai.

“This fabricated narrative, devoid of verifiable evidence and reliant on shadowy “sources,” is not an investigation but a desperate smear campaign designed to justify the ongoing unlawful detention of a citizen who has committed no crime.”

According to El-Rufai’s lawyer, “It exemplifies the ICPC’s transformation from an anti-corruption agency into a criminal enterprise, perpetrating prosecutorial misconduct, hostage-taking, and violations of fundamental rights in pursuit of a failed agenda of political persecution.

“Since the night of 18 February 2026, when operatives under the direction of the Director General of the Department of State Services unlawfully rendered Mallam El-Rufai from Economic and Financial Crimes Commission custody—where he had voluntarily reported on 16 February 2026 and been granted administrative bail—the ICPC has held him hostage without charge.”

The statement further stated, “This detention, now exceeding 20 days, contravenes Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates arraignment within a reasonable time.

“The purported 14-day remand order, issued on 19 February 2026 by a magistrate court lacking jurisdiction over the alleged offences, expired on 4 March 2026 and was never served on my client or his counsel, rendering it void ab initio and the continued confinement patently illegal.”

Akpan added, “The ICPC’s actions constitute grave offences under the Penal Code, including wrongful confinement (Section 264), wrongful restraint (Sections 265-266), and wrongful confinement with intent to compel cessation of political activity (Section 267)—the equivalent of hostage-taking through extortionate demands.

“Operatives, acting on the authority of ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, have failed in their attempts to coerce my client to abandon his constitutional rights to political participation, threatening prolonged detention unless he complies.

“This is not law enforcement; it is state-sponsored extortion and abuse of power, further evidenced by the arbitrary revocation of bail for associates like Mr. Joel Adoga, who was detained for refusing to fabricate confessions.

“Mallam El-Rufai has consistently challenged the ICPC to charge him in court if any evidence exists, a demand he has made publicly and in writing since 16 February 2026. Their resounding silence, coupled with these malicious leaks, confirms the absence of any substantive case and reveals a politically motivated witch-hunt.

“We have initiated criminal complaint proceedings against the Chairman, the DSS Director General, and other implicated officers, seeking their personal accountability for these crimes.”

The statement stressed, “The ICPC cannot operate as both accuser and incarcerator, detaining citizens indefinitely without due process while peddling falsehoods to deflect from their own criminality. We demand the immediate release of Mallam El-Rufai or his arraignment before a court of competent jurisdiction. Anything less is a mortal blow to Nigeria’s democracy and the rule of law.”