Ubong Esop Akpan, counsel to former Kaduna State governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, of engaging in political persecution.
Akpan’s comments followed reports that the former governor owns multi-billion-naira properties in Egypt.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, El-Rufai’s lawyer, Akpan described the allegations as “baseless anonymous leaks” aimed at justifying what he called the unlawful detention of his client.
According to the lawyer, the claims circulating in sections of the media rely on unnamed sources and lack verifiable evidence.
He argued that the reports form part of a coordinated smear campaign designed to discredit the former governor and generate public support for his continued detention.
Akpan said El-Rufai has been in custody since the night of February 18, 2026, after operatives allegedly acting under the direction of the Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, took him from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
He explained that the former governor had voluntarily presented himself to the EFCC on February 16 and was granted administrative bail before being transferred to the ICPC.
The lawyer maintained that the detention, which he said has lasted for more than 20 days without formal charges, violates Section 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, which requires suspects to be arraigned within a reasonable time.
Akpan also questioned the validity of a 14-day remand order reportedly issued by a magistrate court on February 19, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction. He added that the order expired on March 4 and was never served on El-Rufai or his legal team.
According to him, the former governor has repeatedly challenged the ICPC to file charges in court if any credible evidence exists.
He further disclosed that the legal team has begun criminal complaint proceedings against the ICPC chairman and other officials allegedly involved in the matter.