Court Limits CCTV Footage In El-Rufai’s N10bn Suit Against ICPC

The Federal High Court in Abuja has allowed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to play chosen parts of CCTV footage in former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s N10 billion swimsuit, rejecting his request to have the greater than six-hour recording performed in full in open courtroom.

Justice Chigozie Onah, in a ruling on separate purposes by the ICPC and El-Rufai on Thursday, gave both sides 20 minutes to play parts of the footage.

The decide stated the courtroom couldn’t be become a viewing centre, including that it didn’t have the time to look at a recording lasting greater than six hours.

He additionally agreed with ICPC counsel, Yetunde Mosunmola, that enjoying the whole footage in open courtroom might expose delicate details about the fee’s facility and create safety dangers.

Justice Onah stated the complete recording, if essential, may very well be considered in his chambers.

The decide additionally rejected El-Rufai’s request to compel two ICPC officers who deposed to affidavits within the case to look in courtroom for cross-examination, explaining that elementary rights instances are decided by affidavit proof.

He declined to grant the opposite reliefs sought by the previous governor and adjourned the matter till November 3, 2026, for the particular listening to of the substantive purposes.

El-Rufai instituted the swimsuit towards the ICPC, its chairman, Musa Aliyu, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, in search of N10 billion in damages over the alleged denial of entry to his spouse, Aichatou Asabe, and son, Abba El-Rufai, whereas he was within the fee’s custody.

In the swimsuit filed on August 13 by his lawyer, Ubong Akpan, the previous governor requested the courtroom to declare that his elementary rights beneath Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, remained enforceable regardless of his detention.

However, the ICPC and its chairman, in a joint counter-affidavit, disputed a number of claims in El-Rufai’s supporting affidavit.

The fee’s Chief Anti-Corruption Assistant within the Internal Security Support Unit, John Uche, stated El-Rufai was being held lawfully beneath an order of the Federal High Court in Kaduna.

Uche additionally acknowledged that on July 7, the fee facilitated a go to by El-Rufai’s spouse and private doctor in compliance with a courtroom order allowing entry to his physician.

He alleged that reviews acquired after the hospital go to indicated that the medical journey had been become a political assembly in breach of the fee’s safety protocols.

According to Uche, the ICPC subsequently launched momentary entry restrictions as a result of it thought of unrestricted visits a safety threat till the reported vulnerability may very well be assessed and addressed.