By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has withdrawn the magistrate from his ₦1 billion fundamental rights suit after the Federal High Court in Abuja questioned a basic defect in his filing; he failed to properly identify the judicial officer he sued. The development was confirmed in court by his lawyer, Ugochukwu Nnakwu, on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
The case stems from El-Rufai’s challenge to the February 19, 2026 search of his Abuja residence at 12 Mambilla Street, Asokoro, which he says violated his constitutional rights. He had sued the ICPC, the Inspector-General of Police, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the unnamed magistrate who issued the search warrant, while demanding damages and the return of seized items.
This is not a minor courtroom technicality; it is a serious legal embarrassment. When a high-profile rights case stumbles over something as elementary as who exactly was sued, it weakens the moral force of the argument and hands the other side a procedural advantage. The suit remains alive, but this withdrawal exposes the fragile legal footing beneath El-Rufai’s broader persecution narrative.
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