El-Rufai (1).webp
The Digest:

Ubong Akpan, counsel to former Kaduna Governor Nasir el-Rufai, has demanded the immediate release or arraignment of his client, describing his continued detention by the ICPC as "patently illegal." In a statement, Akpan said the purported 14-day remand order issued by a magistrate court on February 19 expired on March 4 and was never served on el-Rufai or his counsel, rendering it void. El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 19 after being released by the EFCC. The ICPC has yet to file charges against him. Akpan accused the commission of operating as "both accuser and incarcerator, detaining citizens indefinitely without due process while peddling falsehoods to deflect from their own criminality." He noted el-Rufai has consistently challenged the ICPC to charge him if evidence exists, saying their silence confirms a "politically motivated witch-hunt." The lawyer has initiated criminal complaint proceedings against ICPC and DSS officials.

Key Points
  • Lawyer says 14-day remand order expired March 4, was never served.
  • Demands immediate release or arraignment, calls detention "patently illegal."
  • Accuses ICPC of being "both accuser and incarcerator" without due process.
  • El-Rufai has repeatedly challenged ICPC to charge him if evidence exists.
  • Criminal complaint proceedings were initiated against ICPC and DSS officials.
As el-Rufai's detention stretches past the expired remand order, his lawyer fires a legal broadside: charge him or free him, but indefinite detention without trial is "state-sponsored extortion," not justice.

Sources: Legal Statement