A magistrate court in Abuja has scheduled Tuesday, March 17, to decide on a new request by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) seeking another 14 days to keep former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, in custody.
The presiding magistrate, Okechukwu Akweke, had earlier fixed the date last week for the court to determine whether the application should be approved or rejected.
El-Rufai has remained in ICPC custody since February 18, 2026, following allegations involving money laundering and the unlawful interception of communications belonging to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The anti-corruption agency reportedly secured a 14-day remand order from a Magistrate Court in Bwari, Abuja, on February 19, 2026. That remand order expired on March 5, 2026.
After the remand order elapsed, El-Rufai’s lawyers, relatives and supporters condemned his continued detention, describing the situation as unlawful. They maintained that since the legal authority to keep him had lapsed and no new order had been issued, the commission should either free him or formally arraign him before a court with proper jurisdiction.
El-Rufai had filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before the FCT High Court, contesting what he described as his prolonged and unlawful detention. Named as parties in the suit are the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Services (DSS), the ICPC, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
However, the ICPC has rejected claims that it violated El-Rufai’s fundamental rights, insisting that it obtained a valid 14-day remand order to detain the former governor, which it said remains renewable while its investigation continues.
