El-Rufai Demands N10bn Damages from ICPC, Alleges Denial of Family Access During Detention

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has filed a fresh N10 billion fundamental rights suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging that the anti-graft agency has repeatedly denied his wife and son access to him while in custody, in violation of his constitutional rights. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1852/2026, was filed on August 13, 2026, at the Federal High Court in Abuja through his lawyer, Ubong Akpan. The former governor also joined the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), as second and third respondents in the case.

El-Rufai, who has been in ICPC custody since February 2026, is seeking nine reliefs, including a declaration that his fundamental rights guaranteed under Part IV of the 1999 Constitution remain enforceable despite his detention. He contends that the repeated refusal to allow his family members access to him, particularly to provide food, medication, clothing and other personal necessities, without lawful justification or a court order, breached his rights under Sections 34 and 37 of the Constitution as well as Articles 5 and 18 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

According to court documents, El-Rufai alleged that on July 7, 2026, ICPC officers physically restrained and intimidated both his wife, Aichatou Asabe El-Rufai, and his son, Abba El-Rufai, when they attempted to visit him. He described the incident as an arbitrary interference with his spousal and filial relationships, insisting that the continued refusal to grant his family access subjected him to “humiliation, emotional trauma, anxiety and psychological distress.”

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The former governor is asking the court to declare that the alleged denial of access is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void, and to compel the respondents to grant him “unhindered and reasonable access to members of his family and counsel throughout the period of his detention.” He argues that the respondents have acted “arbitrarily, unlawfully and in a manner inconsistent with Sections 34, 37 and 46 of the Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”

In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, El-Rufai’s Principal Secretary, Mohammed Shaba, stated that the former governor is being detained at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja. Shaba disclosed that Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Kaduna Division, had on April 1, 2026, issued an order directing the ICPC to allow defendants in the criminal case access to their lawyers and personal physicians whenever required. According to the affidavit, this order reflects the principle that detainees cannot be held incommunicado and that detention conditions remain subject to judicial supervision.

Shaba further noted that before the July 7 incident, Asabe had consistently visited her husband and delivered meals, medication and other personal items without obstruction, in accordance with the commission’s established visitation procedures. The affidavit maintained that El-Rufai continues to enjoy all protections guaranteed under the Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, including humane treatment and reasonable access to family members.

The fresh suit introduces a new legal battle alongside the criminal charges already pending against El-Rufai. The former governor, who served as Kaduna State governor between 2015 and 2023 and was also Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, is facing multiple charges before courts in Abuja and Kaduna, including allegations of money laundering, diversion of public funds, and complicity in the unlawful interception of phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

This is not the first legal action El-Rufai has taken against the ICPC since his detention. In February 2026, he filed a separate N1 billion fundamental rights suit against the commission over the alleged unlawful search of his Abuja residence. That suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, challenged the validity of a search warrant issued by a Chief Magistrate of the FCT Magistrates’ Court, which El-Rufai alleged was used to raid his residence. He sought declarations that the search violated his fundamental rights to dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing and privacy, as guaranteed by Sections 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the Constitution.

El-Rufai Demands N10bn Damages from ICPC, Alleges Denial of Family Access During Detention

Wike Slashes C-of-O Waiting Time to 14 Days as FCT Processes Over 26,000 Titles

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has dramatically reduced the waiting period for landowners to obtain Certificates of Occupancy to just two weeks, marking a significant overhaul of land documentation processes that had previously kept thousands of property owners waiting for years or even decades.

The reform comes as the FCT Administration, under Minister Nyesom Wike, records 26,272 Certificates of Occupancy signed since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023. This figure represents a remarkable increase over the 8,697 C-of-Os produced and signed between 2010 and 2023, with the current administration processing 17,575 more certificates than were signed during the preceding 13-year period under former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.

Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, explaining that the new process allows land allottees who have completed the required payments to obtain their Certificates of Occupancy within two weeks. “The moment necessary payments are made, land allottees can now get their C-of-O within two weeks,” Olayinka said. He added that the administration had introduced an automated notification system to alert allottees when their documents were ready for collection, further reducing the need for repeated visits to government offices.

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A breakdown of the figures showed that 5,500 Certificates of Occupancy were produced and signed during the five-and-a-half-year administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, while only 3,197 were processed during the eight-year administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. Olayinka attributed the delays under previous administrations to inefficiencies in the system, which discouraged some landowners from completing payments on their land allocations. Many of the beneficiaries of the 26,272 C-of-Os processed under Wike had received their land allocations more than 10 years ago but were yet to obtain the necessary title documents, underscoring the scale of the backlog the current administration inherited.

The development is expected to have a direct impact on property owners and businesses that rely on land titles to access financing. A valid Certificate of Occupancy serves as an important instrument for securing commercial loans, mortgages and capital for business expansion. Without it, landowners sitting on valuable real assets have effectively been locked out of loans, mortgages, and expansion capital they could otherwise access. The FCT Administration said delays in obtaining title documents had historically restricted access to financing and created severe operational bottlenecks for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The FCT Administration also recorded an increase in other property-related approvals under the current administration. In the last three years, it granted 2,521 Consents to Assign and 177 Consents to Mortgage. This compares with 753 Consents to Assign and 180 Consents to Mortgage granted under Jonathan, and 684 Consents to Assign and 164 Consents to Mortgage under Buhari. A Consent to Assign is a legal document required for the transfer of property ownership, while a Consent to Mortgage is the official approval needed before a property can be used as collateral for a loan. The significant rise in Consents to Assign under Wike reflects a more efficient system for property transfers, while the slight decline in Consents to Mortgage may indicate a shift toward direct title issuance as the primary means of unlocking property value.

Behind the numbers, Olayinka said, is a backlog problem the current administration inherited rather than created. The 26,272 certificates signed under Wike had been sitting on land allocations that, in many cases, were over a decade old, meaning property owners who had paid for their allocations years ago could finally formalize their ownership. The FCT is fast becoming a hotspot for land acquisition and development, owing to its widespread road networks within the city centre and parts of the outskirts, and the new documentation reforms are expected to accelerate this trend by making it easier for investors to secure their property rights.

The FCT Administration said the reforms were designed to make land documentation faster and more efficient while unlocking the financial value of property and supporting the Federal Government’s broader ease-of-doing-business agenda under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. By reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks, the administration aims to encourage investment in the FCT, create jobs, and stimulate economic activity through the real estate sector. Property owners and investors seeking to benefit from the new two-week C-of-O processing timeline are advised to ensure all required payments and documentation are completed promptly, while the automated notification system will provide timely updates on document readiness.

Wike Slashes C-of-O Waiting Time to 14 Days as FCT Processes Over 26,000 Titles

Police to prosecute Kogi man for allegedly setting wife ablaze

The Kogi State Police Command has arrested a 33-year-old man, Jacob Irewa, for allegedly setting his wife, Berida Irawo, ablaze following a domestic dispute in Lokoja.

The incident occurred on Friday, August 14, at Oworo Estate, Felele, in Lokoja, according to the police.

The victim reportedly sustained serious burns in the incident and is receiving treatment at Honey Gold Hospital, Felele.

The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Afusat Saliu, said operatives of the B Division Surveillance Team responded to a distress call and moved to the scene, where they arrested the suspect.

Preliminary police investigations indicated that the disagreement between the couple allegedly started after Irawo burnt some of her husband’s clothes without his consent.

The dispute reportedly escalated after Irewa allegedly threatened his wife before obtaining petrol from his motorcycle and setting her on fire.

Saliu said the suspect admitted during questioning to setting his wife ablaze.

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She, however, said investigations were continuing to establish the full circumstances of the incident and gather additional evidence.

The police have not disclosed the extent of the victim’s injuries or how long she is expected to remain in hospital.

The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Kankarofi, condemned the alleged attack, describing it as barbaric and unacceptable.

Kankarofi reaffirmed the command’s zero tolerance for domestic violence and warned that anyone found to have endangered another person’s life would face the full weight of the law.

“The command will not condone any action capable of endangering lives. We encourage citizens to seek peaceful and legal means of settling disagreements,” the commissioner said.

The police said the suspect would be charged with attempted culpable homicide after the conclusion of investigations.

The command also appealed to residents to report cases of domestic abuse and violence to the appropriate authorities before disputes escalate into potentially fatal incidents.

The latest development adds to concerns over domestic violence and the need for early intervention when conflicts within households become threatening.

For now, Irewa remains an accused person, and the allegation against him will be subject to judicial determination if the case proceeds to court.

Police to prosecute Kogi man for allegedly setting wife ablaze