News
Ex-Gov, El-Rufai hits ICPC, others with N1bn suit for illegal raid of residence
Ex-Gov. Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State has filed a N1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Enforcement Commission (ICPC) for alleged unlawful invasion of his Abuja reresidence.
el-Rufai
Former Gov. Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State has filed a N1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Enforcement Commission (ICPC) for alleged unlawful invasion of his Abuja reresidence.
el-Rufai, through his team of lawyers led by Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, prayed the court to declare that the search warrant issued on February 4 by the Chief Magistrate, Magistrate’s Court of the FCT (2nd respondent), authorising the search and seizure at his residence was invalid, null and void.
He urged the court to declare that the search warrant was “null and void for lack of particularity, material drafting errors, ambiguity in execution parameters, overbreadth, and absence of probable cause, thereby constituting an unlawful and unreasonable search in violation of Section 37 of the Constitution.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the former governor had, in the originating motion on notice marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, sued ICPC as 1st respondent.
el-Rufai named the Chief Magistrate, Magistrate’s Court of the FCT, Abuja Magisterial District; I-G and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as the 2nd to 4th respondents respectively.
In the suit dated and filed February 20 by Iyamu, the detained ex-governor sought seven reliefs.
He prayed the court to declare that the invasion and search of his residence at House 12, Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja, on February 19 at about 2pm and executed by agents of ICPC and I-G, “under the aforesaid invalid warrant, amounts to a gross violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights to dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy under Sections 34, 35, 36, and 37 of the Constitution.”
He urged the court to declare that “any evidence obtained pursuant to the aforesaid invalid warrant and unlawful search is inadmissible in any proceedings against the applicant, as it was procured in breach of constitutional safeguards.”
el-Rufai, therefore, sought an order of injunction restraining the respondents and their agents from further relying on, using, or tendering any evidence or items seized during the unlawful search in any investigation, prosecution, or proceedings involving him.
“An order directing the Ist and 3rd respondents (ICPC and I-G) to forthwith return all items seized from the applicant’s premises during the unlawful search, together with a detailed inventory thereof.
“An order awarding the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) as general, exemplary, and aggravated damages against the respondents jointly and severally for the violations of the applicant’s fundamental rights, including trespass, unlawful seizure, and the resultant psychological trauma, humiliation, distress, infringement of privacy, and reputational harm.”
el-Rufai did the breakdown of the N1 billion in damages to include “a N300 million as compensatory damages for psychological trauma, emotional distress, and loss of personal security;
A N400 million as exemplary damages to deter future misconduct by law enforcement agencies and vindicate the applicant’s rights.
A N300 million as aggravated damages for the malicious, high-handed and oppressive nature of the respondents’ actions, including the use of a patently defective warrant procured through misleading representations.”
He also sought N100 million as the cost of filing the suit, including legal fees and associated expenses.
In his grounds of argument, the senior lawyer argued that the search warrant was fundamentally defective, lacking specificity in the description of items to be seized, containing material typographical errors, ambiguous execution terms, overbroad directives, and no verifiable probable cause.
He said this was in contravention of Sections 143-148 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015; Section 36 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) Act, 2000, and constitutional protections against arbitrary intrusions.
Specifically, Iyamu argued that Section 143 of the ACJA requires that an application for a search warrant be supported by information in writing and on oath, setting forth reasonable grounds for suspicion, which was absent here, as evidenced by the incomplete initiating clause.
He said Section 144 mandates particular descriptions of the place to be searched and the items sought, to prevent general warrants.
He, however, argued that the instant warrant vaguely referred to “the thing aforesaid” without any detail.
“Section 146 stipulates that the warrant must be in the prescribed form, free from defects that could mislead, but the document is riddled with errors in the address, date, and district designation;
“Section 147 allows direction to specified persons, but the warrant’s indiscriminate addressing to ‘all officers is overbroad and unaccountable.
“Section 148 permits execution at reasonable times, but the contradictory language creates ambiguity, undermining procedural clarity,” he submitted.
Iyamu stated that the execution of the invalid warrant on February 19 resulted in an unlawful invasion of his client’s premises, constituting violations of the rights to dignity (Section 34), personal liberty (Section 35), fair hearing (Section 36), and privacy (Section 37) of the Constitution.
He further argued that the search was conducted without legal justification and in a manner that inflicted humiliation and distress.
“Evidence obtained without a valid warrant is unlawful and inadmissible, as established in judicial precedents such as C.O.P. v. Omoh (1969) NCLR 137, where the court ruled that evidence procured through improper means contravenes fundamental rights and must be excluded,” he said.
The lawyer, who also cited the case of Fawehinmi v. IGP (2000) 7 NWLR (Pt. 665) 481, said the court condemned vague warrants as affording unbridled discretion and leading to abuse.
He also presented a plethora of cases to support his argument.
In the affidavit in support of the application, Mohammed Shaba, a Principal Secretary to the former governor, averred that on February 19 at about 2p.m., officers from the ICPC and Nigeria Police Force invaded the residence under a purported search warrant issued on or about February 4.
According to him, the said warrant is invalid due to its lack of specificity, errors, and other defects as outlined in the grounds of this application.
He said the “search warrant did not specify the properties or items being searched for.”
Shaba stated that the officers failed to submit themselves for search as provided by the law before proceeding with the search.
“That the Magistrate did not specify the magisterial district wherein he sits.
“That during the invasion, the officers searched the applicant’s premises without lawful authority, seized personal items including documents and electronic devices, and caused the applicant undue humiliation, psychological trauma, and distress.
“Now shown to me and marked as ‘EXHIBIT B’ is the list of the items carted away.
“That no items seized have been returned, and the respondents continue to rely on the unlawful evidence.
“That the applicant suffered violations of his constitutional rights as a result, and this application is brought in good faith to enforce the same,” Shaba said.
By Gloria Ikibah
Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc has commenced an approved share capital reconstruction, consolidating every 10 existing ordinary shares into one new share as part of efforts to streamline its capital structure and strengthen its appeal to investors.
The company disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the exercise followed several rounds of capital raising that had expanded its equity base.
According to Sterling Financial the reconstruction was designed to improve capital-structure efficiency, support strategic growth and make the company more attractive to institutional and retail investors.
The group enters the exercise on the back of a strong first-half performance, with profit after tax rising by 20.4 per cent to N50.3 billion, compared with gross earnings of N279.6 billion.
Its total assets stood at N4.67 trillion, while shareholders’ funds increased by 27.8 per cent to N547.7 billion.
The company said the reconstruction formed part of its broader strategy to optimise its share structure as it pursues sustainable earnings growth and stronger returns.
Trading in Sterling Financial’s shares on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) was temporarily suspended on Wednesday, September 23, to facilitate the exercise.
The suspension is scheduled to run for up to 10 working days, ending Wednesday, October 7, while the Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS) and Pace Registrars Limited reconcile shareholders’ holdings and update the register.
The company said the resumption of trading will be communicated after the process had been completed and confirmed by the NGX.
Sterling Financial said the revised share structure was expected to support more efficient price formation and improve the assessment of per-share performance across reporting periods.
It added that the reconstruction will also allow investors to make clearer comparisons with relevant sector peers.
Shareholders approved the exercise at the company’s Annual General Meeting on June 9, 2026, while the required regulatory no-objections were obtained.
The Federal High Court also confirmed the share reduction exercise in an order dated September 22, 2026.
Under the new structure, Sterling Financial’s issued ordinary shares will fall from 68,502,331,708 to 6,850,233,171, with each share retaining a nominal value of 50 kobo.
The company stressed that the restructuring will not alter total shareholders’ funds.
It also clarified that the exercise was neither a fresh capital raise nor a cash distribution.
For individual shareholders, every 10,000 existing shares will be converted into 1,000 reconstructed shares, with the reference price adjusted tenfold.
According to the company, the adjustment is intended to preserve the calculated value of a shareholder’s holding at the point of reconstruction, although the actual market price may rise or fall when trading resumes.
Voting and economic interests will continue in proportion to shareholders’ reconstructed holdings, while accrued dividend entitlements will remain intact.
Future dividends, whenever declared, will be calculated based on the reconstructed share base.
Sterling Financial said the reconstruction itself did not determine the amount of any future dividend.
The conversion of eligible holdings will be automatic, with no application or payment required from shareholders.
Investors with valid CSCS account and stockbroker details will have their reconstructed shares credited electronically.
However, holders of physical share certificates have been advised to contact Pace Registrars and a licensed stockbroker for assistance in converting their holdings into electronic form.
The company explained that CSCS maintains electronic securities records, while a Clearing House Number identifies an investor within the system.
Holdings without valid CSCS account details will remain with Pace Registrars under a non-tradeable Registrar Identification Number until the required process is completed.
Shareholders with outdated or incomplete records were advised to contact the registrar to update their details.
Sterling Financial also advised investors with transactions awaiting settlement around the suspension period to confirm with their stockbrokers and the registrar how the approved record date and settlement cut-off would apply to their holdings.
Following completion of the adjustments, shareholders were advised to check their revised balances through their stockbrokers, CSCS or Pace Registrars and promptly report any missing or incorrect balances for reconciliation.
Anambra State Government has acknowledged that former Governor Peter Obi performed well during his tenure, while clarifying that its ongoing scrutiny of his administration’s financial records is not intended to discredit his achievements or political ambitions.
The state Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, made the clarification while addressing the controversy surrounding Obi’s claim that he left no financial liabilities for subsequent administrations.
Mefor said the government’s position was focused on establishing the accuracy of the state’s financial records, particularly claims relating to funds allegedly left behind by the former governor.
He specifically questioned Obi’s assertion that his administration left N12.13 billion in an ecological fund account domiciled with First Bank at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka branch.
According to the commissioner, the state government requested the relevant account statement from the bank but found no evidence supporting the claimed balance.
Mefor, however, stressed that the financial inquiry should not be interpreted as an attempt to diminish Obi’s record in office.
“The intention of the Anambra State government is not to indict Peter Obi. Peter Obi did well as governor.
“There is no rift between Governor Soludo and Peter Obi. They are both in politics, and they have their interests to defend,” he said.
The comments come amid renewed political exchanges between supporters of Obi, the former Anambra governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, and the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
While the two politicians have publicly differed over aspects of Anambra’s financial and developmental record, Mefor said the state government’s position was primarily aimed at clarifying the records rather than attacking Obi personally.
Abia State Governor Alex Otti has said he will support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027, despite remaining a member of the opposition Labour Party (LP).
Otti made the clarification during an interview with Arise Television on Friday, where he addressed questions about his relationship with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and his position on Tinubu’s 2027 ambition.
The governor was asked whether his support for Tinubu amounted to a “comfortable arrangement” between him and the ruling party.
Otti agreed with the description, saying his position as a governor and member of the National Economic Council made it difficult for him to openly oppose the President’s re-election bid.
“It works the way you have said. It’s a statement of fact. I am not in a position to oppose his candidacy,” he said.
Otti explained that although he could disagree with some government policies, his membership of the National Economic Council meant he was also part of the broader governance structure through which federal policies and decisions were discussed.
He said openly opposing the President could create unnecessary tension within the system, adding that he preferred to raise disagreements during government meetings.
“And sometimes people don’t understand the opposition. When you say opposition, and you are part of a government, then what you are driving towards is implosion.
“So if I do have a problem with anything, I’ll sit down in one of our meetings and I’ll make my point. So I’m not going to oppose his candidacy,” Otti said.
The Abia governor further stressed that his role in the National Economic Council had placed him directly within the process of implementing and discussing policies of the Federal Government.
“I had also said that as a governor in this republic, that a lot of the things that are being, in fact, I’m part of all the things that have been done as a member of National Economic Council. So, we should distinguish that.
“When somebody now says, ‘Oh, you are supporting or you’re not,’ I have to support him,” he said.
However, Otti appeared to draw a distinction between supporting Tinubu’s re-election and abandoning the Labour Party.
When reminded of his earlier statement that he still had a presidential candidate in the Labour Party, the governor rejected the suggestion that he was referring to Tinubu.
“No, that’s not what I said,” he said.
Asked whether he was referring specifically to a Labour Party presidential candidate, Otti replied, “Yes.”
But when pressed again on whether he supported Tinubu’s 2027 bid, he responded: “What do you expect me to say? To say I’m not supporting him?”
Otti also said Tinubu had the constitutional right to seek another term in office, while noting that some of the President’s policies were consistent with positions he had previously held.
He specifically cited the removal of the petrol subsidy, which he described as unsustainable.
“Quite frankly, there are a lot of things that we have talked about now, that he has implemented, that resonate with me and my thinking.
“People don’t have to agree with me, but from where I sit, I know that for instance, the fuel subsidy was even unsustainable,” Otti said.
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