El-Rufai’s Son Denounces ICPC Raid, Calls Warrant Fraudulent

El-Rufai’s Son Denounces ICPC Raid, Calls Warrant Fraudulent

Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed claims by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) regarding items seized from his father’s residence, describing the operation as a “circus of chicanery.”

In a statement released on Monday, Bello alleged that the anti-corruption agency attempted to “weaponize” his father’s silence and cast a false narrative around the raid, which took place after El-Rufai was granted bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 18, 2026.

The former governor has been under investigation for alleged financial misconduct during his tenure.

Bello insisted that the ICPC raid uncovered nothing more than ordinary personal items.

“No equipment other than old discarded personal mobile phones, some dating back 20 years, storage devices like flash drives and laptops, which are standard possessions of any 21st-century citizen, were seized from the property,” he said.

He further claimed that references to sophisticated tapping equipment and “sensitive security documents in ICPC’s press release were fabricated.

The former governor’s son also questioned the legality of the search itself, alleging that the warrant used by the ICPC was forged.

“We have credible evidence that the warrant was fraudulently procured and presented by a Magistrate purporting to sit in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

“An illegality of this magnitude renders everything that follows inadmissible and void,” Bello stated.

He added that the family’s legal team had already challenged the warrant in a competent court.

Bello accused the ICPC of using the press to create the impression of wrongdoing.

“The ICPC’s statement is a textbook example of projection, the guilty person ascribing his crimes to his victim. It is a document riddled with the very offenses it is meant to combat,” he said.

He concluded by affirming the family’s confidence in the judiciary, pledging to pursue all legal remedies to challenge the raid and defend their rights.

“We will not be tried in the court of public opinion by a discredited agency acting on behalf of political masters. We have absolute faith that the Nigerian judiciary will see through this shameful charade,” Bello said.

The ICPC has yet to respond to Bello’s latest claims. The investigation into alleged financial irregularities during El-Rufai’s tenure remains ongoing.