A Federal Capital Territory High Court has dismissed Nasir El-Rufai’s N120 million fundamental rights suit against security agencies and ordered him to pay N200,000 in costs to each of the four respondents.
Justice Sylvanus Oriji ruled on Monday that the former Kaduna governor’s case lacked merit. The respondents were the Department of State Services, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
El-Rufai had challenged the agencies’ actions, including letters inviting him for investigation, an attempted arrest at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja and the seizure of his international passport.
Daily Trust and Channels Television reported that the judge found the EFCC and ICPC invitation letters met constitutional requirements and did not violate El-Rufai’s rights.
On the airport incident, the court accepted the DSS’s argument that it had legal powers to maintain a watchlist and arrest people of interest. The judge rejected El-Rufai’s objection that the attempted arrest required a warrant, according to the reports.
The court also upheld the passport seizure. It found that El-Rufai had not provided evidence showing that the seizure was continuous, permanent and unlawful.
Vanguard reported that El-Rufai also has a separate N1 billion rights suit pending at the Federal High Court in Abuja over a warrant used to search his home. That case names the ICPC, the Attorney-General and the Inspector-General of Police as respondents.
Sources: Daily Trust, Channels Television, Vanguard
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