The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) permission to access and analyse electronic devices recovered from the residence of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik gave the order on Thursday after hearing an ex parte application filed by counsel to the anti-graft agency, Osuobeni Akponimisingha.
The lawyer urged the court to allow the commission open and examine the devices for inspection, forensic examination and extraction of data as part of an ongoing investigation involving the former governor.
The devices were among items recovered by ICPC operatives during a search carried out at El-Rufai’s residence in Abuja.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik authorised the commission to access and analyse the contents of the devices, including public documents, WhatsApp conversations, text messages, photographs, call logs and other related information.
Items listed in the court order include several storage devices, mobile phones, a tablet, an Apple MacBook Pro laptop, external drives, flash drives and a memory card.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/499/2026, is between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai.
The judge held that the anti-corruption agency was entitled to examine items seized during the investigation for forensic analysis.
Meanwhile, El-Rufai has filed a separate suit before the same court challenging the search of his residence and demanding N1bn in damages.
In the fundamental rights enforcement suit, the former governor listed the ICPC, the Chief Magistrate of the Magistrates’ Court of the Federal Capital Territory, the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation as respondents.
In the suit filed by his lawyer, Oluwole Iyamu, El-Rufai asked the court to declare that the search of his residence at House 12, Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja, on February 19 violated his fundamental rights.
He argued that the action breached his rights to dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing and privacy as guaranteed under the Constitution.
The former governor also urged the court to declare that any evidence obtained from the search should be inadmissible in any proceedings against him.
He further asked the court to restrain the respondents from relying on or tendering items seized during the search in any investigation or prosecution involving him.
El-Rufai is also seeking an order directing the ICPC and the police to return all items seized from his residence along with a detailed inventory, as well as N1bn in general, exemplary and aggravated damages for the alleged violation of his rights.
However, in a counter-affidavit, the ICPC stated that the search was carried out based on a petition it received against the former governor.
According to the commission, the operation was conducted under a valid search warrant issued on February 18 and executed the following day with the support of officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
The agency added that the search was witnessed by El-Rufai’s wife, Hadiza El-Rufai, and his son, Mohammed El-Rufai, and urged the court to dismiss the suit.
The police also defended the search in a separate counter-affidavit filed by Inspector Ewa Anthony, stating that the operation was conducted in line with the law and based on a valid court-issued warrant.
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