Isaac Samuel
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Tuesday refuted reports suggesting it sought a fresh court order to extend the detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, insisting that such claims misrepresent what transpired in court.
In a statement by its Head of Media and Public Communication, John Odey, the anti-graft agency explained that its appearance before the court on March 17, 2026, was strictly for the hearing of an application filed by El-Rufai on March 6, seeking to overturn a remand order earlier granted on March 5.
The commission noted that during the proceedings, counsel to the former governor was served with its response to the application. Following this, the defence requested an adjournment to enable a thorough review of the commission’s submission.
The presiding magistrate subsequently adjourned the matter to March 31, 2026, granting El-Rufai’s legal team time to respond.
The ICPC emphasised that at no point during the proceedings did it apply for a fresh extension of the former governor’s detention, contrary to reports circulating in some sections of the media.
“ICPC wishes to clarify the current legal status of the remand in detention of the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai. This statement is necessary to correct inaccurate reports by some media outlets suggesting that the commission was in court today, 17th March 2026, seeking a fresh extension of his detention.
“The commission appeared in court today for the hearing of Mallam El-Rufai’s application, dated and filed on 6th March 2026, which seeks to overturn the court order renewing his remand issued on 5th March 2026.
“During today’s proceedings, counsel to Mr El-Rufai was served with our response to his application. The lawyer subsequently requested an adjournment to respond to the commission’s response. Consequently, the magistrate adjourned the hearing of the application to 31st March 2026 to allow Mr El-Rufai’s team sufficient time to react to our response”, the statement read.
Providing further clarification, the commission outlined that an initial remand order had authorised the detention of El-Rufai for 14 days to allow investigations into allegations bordering on money laundering and abuse of office.
It added that upon the expiration of the initial order, it applied for and obtained a further 14-day extension on March 5 to complete its investigation.
The agency also disclosed that a previous attempt by El-Rufai’s counsel to set aside a remand order issued on February 19 was dismissed by the court on March 9.
According to the ICPC, the former governor remains in lawful custody under the subsisting remand order granted on March 5, noting that the commission is adhering strictly to the court-approved timeline, including the submission of progress reports as required.
The anti-corruption agency stressed that the detention was authorised in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
Reiterating its institutional stance, the commission maintained that it does not engage in media trials, insisting that legal disputes should be resolved within the courtroom.
It also urged members of the public to disregard unverified information and rely on official communication from the commission.
El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 19, shortly after his release by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
