Ubong Esop Akpan, the legal counsel for former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of carrying out a campaign of political persecution.
Akpan’s remarks follow recent reports claiming that the former governor possesses multi-billion-naira real estate holdings in Egypt.
In a statement released in Abuja this Monday, Akpan characterized these allegations as “baseless anonymous leaks” intended to provide a pretext for what he described as the illegal detention of his client.
The lawyer argued that the stories appearing in various media outlets are based on unnamed sources and lack any verifiable proof.
He contended that these reports are part of a deliberate smear campaign aimed at tarnishing the former governor’s reputation and building public justification for his ongoing imprisonment.
Akpan noted that El-Rufai has been held in custody since the night of February 18, 2026, after he was reportedly moved from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the Department of State Services (DSS) under the instruction of its Director-General.
He clarified that the former governor had originally turned himself in to the EFCC on February 16 and was granted administrative bail before being handed over to the ICPC.
The attorney maintained that this detention, which has now exceeded 20 days without any formal charges being filed, is a violation of Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which mandates that suspects be brought before a court within a reasonable timeframe.
Akpan also challenged the legitimacy of a 14-day remand order said to have been issued by a magistrate court on February 19, arguing that the court did not have the proper jurisdiction.
He further pointed out that the order expired on March 4 and was never officially served to El-Rufai or his lawyers.
According to the counsel, the former governor has consistently dared the ICPC to bring its evidence to court and file formal charges if any actual proof exists.
He also revealed that the legal team has initiated criminal complaint proceedings against the ICPC chairman and other officials allegedly connected to the case.
