A magistrate court in Abuja has fixed Tuesday, March 17, to rule on a fresh request by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) seeking an additional 14 days to detain former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

The presiding magistrate, Okechukwu Akweke, last week fixed the date to enable the court to determine whether to grant or dismiss the application.

El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February 18, 2026, over allegations of money laundering and the illegal interception of the communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The anti-graft agency reportedly obtained a 14-day remand order from a Magistrate Court in Bwari, Abuja, on February 19, 2026. The order expired on March 5, 2026.

Following the expiration of the remand order, El-Rufai’s lawyers, family members and supporters criticised his continued detention, describing it as unlawful.

They argued that since the legal basis for holding him had expired and no fresh order had been obtained, the commission should either release him or formally charge him before a competent court.

El-Rufai had filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before the FCT High Court, challenging what he described as his prolonged and unlawful detention.

Joined 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 denied violating El-Rufai’s fundamental rights, maintaining that it obtained a valid 14-day remand order to hold the former governor, which it argued is renewable pending the conclusion of its investigation. (Daily Trust)

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