Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have reportedly searched the Abuja residence of Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State.
Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai’s media aide, disclosed the development in a brief statement on Thursday.
Adekeye said that agents of the anti-corruption agency conducted the search at the former governor’s Aso Drive home.
“UPDATE: The Aso Drive residence of Malam Nasir @elrufai was today searched by the ICPC. Ubong Akpan, Malam El-Rufai’s lawyer, condemned the action ‘as unlawful, and a clear violation of legal procedures and fundamental rights’,” Adekeye wrote on X.
Reacting, a member of El-Rufai’s legal team, Ubong Akpan, described the operation as unlawful and a breach of due process and the former governor’s fundamental rights.
The ICPC had not officially confirmed the search as of the time of filing this report.
The development comes amid increased scrutiny of El-Rufai’s tenure in office.
The former Kaduna state governor has been in ICPC custody since Wednesday night following his release on administrative bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged diversion of public funds.
Earlier in the week, the federal government filed criminal charges against El-Rufai at the Federal High Court, Abuja, over the alleged unlawful interception of the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The three-count charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, was filed under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
According to the charge sheet, El-Rufai allegedly admitted during a February 13, 2026 appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme that an associate unlawfully intercepted the NSA’s phone communications and that he listened to them.
