The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the hearing of a lawsuit filed by former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other respondents. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the case until March 25 to allow all parties properly file and organise their legal documents.

El-Rufai is seeking N1 billion in damages, claiming that the search of his Abuja residence violated his fundamental rights. He argued that the operation carried out by ICPC officials and officers of the Nigeria Police Force breached his constitutional rights to privacy, liberty, and dignity.

The former governor also asked the court to stop the authorities from using any items or evidence obtained during the search. In addition, he requested that all seized items be returned immediately, along with a detailed list of the materials taken from his residence.

However, ICPC maintained that its officers acted lawfully after receiving a petition and securing a valid search warrant. According to the commission, the search was conducted in the presence of El-Rufai’s family members and followed legal procedures during the investigation.