Justice Hussaini Belgore of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has withdrawn from hearing the fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El‑Rufai, citing plans to proceed on leave.
The case file has been returned to the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court for reassignment to another judge.
The suit, filed at the FCT High Court, challenges alleged violations of El‑Rufai’s fundamental rights arising from the purported unlawful invasion and search of his Abuja residence by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), as well as actions by other agencies.
El‑Rufai is seeking a declaration that the invasion breached his constitutional rights to privacy, dignity of the human person, personal liberty and fair hearing, and is demanding N1 billion in general, exemplary and aggravated damages.
In the suit and related filings, El‑Rufai has also referenced the involvement of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) in ongoing legal proceedings against him.
Earlier, he approached a Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order to quash charges preferred by the DSS, describing them as incompetent, disclosing no offence known to law and constituting a gross abuse of court process, as part of his broader campaign to challenge the legality of actions taken by the security and anti‑corruption agencies.
