Abuja Court rules on CCTV footage in El-Rufai’s ₦10bn lawsuit

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) permission to play selected portions of CCTV footage during the ₦10 billion fundamental rights suit filed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai.

Justice Chigozie Onah ruled that both parties are permitted 20 minutes each to present specific parts of the recordings in open court. The judge denied el-Rufai’s request to play the full six-hour recording, citing concerns that the complete footage contains sensitive security information that could compromise the commission’s facilities. The judge noted that the court “cannot be turned into a viewing centre” and suggested the full footage could be viewed in his chambers if necessary.

El-Rufai’s lawsuit against the ICPC, its chairman Musa Aliyu, and the Attorney-General of the Federation alleges violations of his fundamental rights during detention, including being denied access to his family. The ICPC maintains that the former governor was lawfully detained under a Kaduna court order. The court also rejected el-Rufai’s application to cross-examine ICPC officials, ruling that fundamental rights enforcement proceedings are determined based on affidavit evidence. The case is adjourned until November 3.