The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on Monday detailed documents and electronic devices it allegedly recovered from the Abuja home of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
The anti-graft agency made the disclosures in processes filed before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in opposition to a N1bn fundamental rights enforcement suit instituted by the ex-governor.
El-Rufai is contesting what he described as his unlawful arrest, detention and the search of his residence carried out last month.
In its court filings, the commission urged the court to dismiss the application, maintaining that its operatives acted on a valid search warrant issued on February 18 and executed the following day between 1:37pm and 3:56pm at 12 Mambilla Street, Asokoro, Abuja.
According to the ICPC, its team was accompanied by officers of the Nigeria Police Force, while the exercise was witnessed by the former governor’s wife, Hadiza El-Rufai, and his son, Mohammed El-Rufai.
The commission listed items allegedly recovered to include investor account statements, asset declaration documents, business registration certificates, corporate compliance records, client Know-Your-Customer files, and documents linked to the welfare secretary of the African Democratic Congress.
It also cited records of domestic and foreign loans approved by the Kaduna State House of Assembly between 2015 and 2023, as well as interim investigation reports concerning El-Rufai and his associates.
Other materials said to have been seized comprised share certificates of Ecobank Nigeria Plc, land documents, student financial records, valuation reports, deeds of assignment, irrevocable powers of attorney relating to multiple properties, Afri-Venture Capital Company papers, payment mandates and media materials from the former governor’s office.
The ICPC further stated that electronic gadgets recovered included nine flash drives, a memory card, seven hard drives, several laptops — among them Apple MacBook Pro and Elumac Book Pro models — as well as mobile phones such as Blackberry, Nokia N95, Toshiba, Samsung IDEOS and Google IDEOS devices, in addition to 18 other gadgets and a Remarkable tablet with accessories.
It said all the items were properly documented and sealed for forensic examination, adding that a Device Documentation Form captured details such as serial numbers, storage capacity and accessories.
The commission acknowledged that El-Rufai noted in the documentation that he did not grant consent for access to any of the devices.
The agency maintained that the materials would be subjected to forensic analysis as part of ongoing investigations bordering on alleged corruption and asset concealment.
Responding in a statement on Monday, the former governor’s family accused the commission of attempting to portray his decision to remain silent during interrogation as incriminating.
In a statement signed by his son, Bello El-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives, the ex-governor challenged the commission to file charges if it had evidence against him, noting that he had been under investigation for over two years.
The family insisted that his silence was a constitutional right and not proof of wrongdoing.
It also disputed the scope of the items allegedly recovered, claiming that only personal effects, including old mobile phones, flash drives and laptops, were taken.
They further alleged that the search warrant was invalid and fraudulently obtained, adding that their legal team had challenged its legitimacy in court.
Since leaving office in 2023, El-Rufai has been the subject of multiple investigations.
In 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly recommended a probe into the alleged diversion of N423bn during his administration.
The ICPC, however, maintained that its actions were lawful and consistent with its statutory mandate to investigate corruption and related offences.