ICPC Denies Seeking Fresh Remand Order for El-Rufai

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has denied report claiming it is seeking fresh remand order for former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.

The commission in a statement clarified that contrary to report in some news outlets, the former governor is being held under a valid court order issued on February 19, which was further extended for another 14 days on March 5, 2026.

Head, Media and Public Communication, ICPC, John Okor Odey, in the statement issued on Tuesday explained that it was necessary to correct inaccurate reports by some media outlets suggesting that the commission was in court on Tuesday to seek a fresh extension of his detention.

“The Commission appeared in Court today for the hearing of Mallam El-Rufai’s application, dated and filed on March 6, 2026, which seeks to overturn the court order renewing his remand issued on March 5, 2026.

“During today’s proceedings, counsel to Mr El-Rufai was served with our response to his application. The lawyer subsequently requested an adjournment to respond to the Commission’s response. Consequently, the Magistrate adjourned the hearing of the application to March 31, 2026 to allow Mr El-Rufai’s team sufficient time to react to our response”, the statement read in part.

Odey added that to keep the public informed, the commission provides the following timeline of the court authorised detention, stressing that the initial remand order was granted, allowing the commission to detain the suspect for 14 days to investigate allegations of money laundering and abuse of office.

He said upon the expiration of the initial order, the Commission applied for a 14-day extension to complete its investigations, which the court acceded to on March 5, 2026.

“Counsel to El-Rufai attempted to set aside the remand order issued on February 19, 2026, but the application was dismissed on March 9, 2026.

“Mallam El-Rufai remains in the lawful custody of the ICPC under the remand order dated March 5, 2026. The Commission is strictly following the court mandated timeline, including the requirement for a progress report.

“The ICPC conducts its duties with the highest professionalism and respect for the rule of law. The remand of Mr El-Rufai has been authorised by a court of law in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

“Furthermore, the ICPC remains firm in upholding its longstanding policy of avoiding media trials. We believe that legal disputes should be settled in the courtroom, not on newspaper pages and social media platforms. The Commission’s leadership remains steadfast and undeterred in confronting any and all challenges in the course of the current investigation.

“We urge the public to avoid spreading unverified information and to rely on official updates from the Commission”, the statement added.