The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s N1 billion fundamental rights suit over the search of his Abuja residence.
Fagbemi, through counsel from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Maimuna Lami-Shiru, filed a counter-affidavit challenging the competence of the suit and arguing that El-Rufai failed to disclose a reasonable cause of action.
The AGF also denied that El-Rufai’s fundamental rights were violated, maintaining that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Inspector-General of Police acted within the law.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, followed the February 19 search of El-Rufai’s residence on Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja, by ICPC operatives accompanied by police officers.
El-Rufai is challenging the validity of the search warrant and wants the court to declare the search unlawful and bar the use of any evidence or items recovered during the operation.
He is also seeking N1 billion in general, exemplary and aggravated damages, as well as the return of items allegedly seized from his residence.
The ICPC has similarly urged the court to dismiss the case, saying the search was conducted as part of an investigation arising from a petition against the former governor. The commission maintains that its operatives acted under a valid warrant issued by a competent court. The police have also defended the operation.
At Monday’s proceedings, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik granted the AGF’s application to regularize his counter-affidavit and adjourned the case until October 27 to allow El-Rufai’s lawyer, Akinyemi Aremu, to respond.
The court has not yet ruled on the validity of the search warrant or the alleged violation of El-Rufai’s rights.
