The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai. The suit sought to restrain the Department of State Services, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and others from freezing his bank accounts and seizing his assets. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik delivered the judgment on Thursday. She held that the suit was speculative and lacked merit. She also ruled that it was an abuse of court process.
El-Rufai served as Kaduna governor from 2015 to 2023. He was a founding member of the APC. He fell out with the party’s national leadership after leaving office. He joined the ADC and is now aligned with the opposition. The ICPC has been investigating him over allegations of financial impropriety. He has denied wrongdoing. In February 2026, he filed multiple suits challenging the investigation. The current case is one of three.
El-Rufai filed the suit on 24 February 2026. His counsel, Oluwole Iyamu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, sought an interim injunction. He also sought a declaration that his severance pay and properties purchased from it were lawfully acquired. He listed accounts with Zenith, GTB and Access banks. He sought a perpetual injunction against freezing or forfeiture. He also sought ₦1 billion in damages and ₦100 million in costs.
The ICPC filed a preliminary objection. Its counsel, Abdul Mohammed, a SAN, argued that the suit was incompetent and an abuse of process. He said El-Rufai filed three parallel suits across two court hierarchies within 12 days. He called it forum shopping. The DSS and the Attorney-General of the Federation filed similar objections. They said the suit disclosed no reasonable cause of action. Justice Abdulmalik agreed. She dismissed the suit. She said a court cannot be used to prevent law enforcement agencies from performing their statutory duties.
Winners: The ICPC, EFCC, DSS and AGF, which can continue their investigations. The court, which asserts procedural discipline. The government, which faces less legal obstruction. Losers: El-Rufai, whose suit is dismissed. His legal team, which loses the case. The ADC, whose vice presidential candidate faces continued investigation. Nigerians who wanted clarity on the severance pay question. The courts, which face another politically charged dispute.
Bottom Line: El-Rufai’s suit is dismissed. The court called it speculative and an abuse of process. The agencies can continue investigating. El-Rufai will fight elsewhere. He has other suits pending. The legal battle is not over. But this round went to the state.