Isaac Samuel
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has claimed that his continued detention by the ICPC is tied to his refusal to withdraw from political activities, alleging pressure from officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The allegation is contained in a criminal complaint filed before a court, in which El-Rufai accuses senior officials of the anti-corruption agency of attempting to coerce him into abandoning politics as a condition for regaining his freedom.
In the suit, the former governor listed the ICPC chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, along with four other officials as defendants.
He alleged that while in custody, officials of the commission made it clear that his release was contingent on his willingness to step away from political engagements.
Details of the claim are outlined in Paragraph 12 of the complaint, where El-Rufai maintained that the officers acted under directives from the leadership of the commission.
The supporting affidavit filed by his legal team further stated that the former governor was repeatedly cautioned that persisting in political activities could lead to prolonged detention.
According to the affidavit, the officials allegedly insisted that disengagement from politics was the only viable route to securing his release.
“During the period of his unlawful detention, the Complainant has been informed by officers of the ICPC, acting on the authority of the Ist Accused Person, that his release is conditional upon him ceasing all political activities and refraining from participating in the political process. This demand constitutes an unlawful attempt to compel the complainants to abandon his constitutional rights”, the former governor said.
Based on these claims, El-Rufai instituted a charge of wrongful confinement with intent to compel, citing Sections 264 and 267 of the Penal Code as the legal foundation for his case.
His lawyers argued that such actions, if established, amount to an abuse of authority and a violation of his constitutional rights, particularly the right to participate freely in political affairs.
The complaint urged the court to scrutinise the conduct of the ICPC officials and determine whether their actions constituted an unlawful attempt to suppress political participation.
El-Rufai is also seeking a judicial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his detention, insisting that no state institution has the power to compel a citizen to renounce lawful political involvement in exchange for personal liberty.
As of the time of filing this report, the ICPC has yet to respond publicly to the allegations or issue any statement regarding the claims against its leadership.
But as reported by Policy& Politics yesterday, the Commission had earlier stated that the former governor is being held in a remand legally issued by a court of law to allow for proper investigation into his alleged money laundering offence.
