A lawyer, Bulama Bukarti, has said the family of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El‑Rufai must provide evidence if they insist the search of the politician’s residence by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was illegal.
Bukarti stated this on Monday while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, amid the growing dispute between El-Rufai’s family and the anti-corruption agency.
The lawyer said allegations of fraud are criminal in nature and must be proven through due legal process.
“The claim or allegation of fraud is a criminal allegation, and even before a court of law, you have to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt that the warrant was fraudulently obtained, and the only way you can know that the warrant was fraudulently obtained will be through a thorough criminal investigation.
“I don’t think whoever is claiming that this warrant was fraudulently obtained has conducted any criminal investigation. If they are making that claim, it is for them to go before a court of law and prove fraud beyond a reasonable doubt,” he said.
READ ALSO: Alleged Phone-Tapping: El-Rufai’s Family Accuses ICPC Of Smear, Challenges Search Warrant
Bukarti also argued that it would be unnecessary for a federal agency to falsify documents to secure a search warrant.
He added that if investigators possessed sufficient evidence, they should proceed with prosecution rather than prolonged detention.
“If ICPC has found any evidence, they should arraign Mallam El-Rufai; they should not be detaining him for this long. And if any family member has any piece of evidence against any search that was conducted, or any evidence that was obtained, they should wait for their day in court and present their evidence before a court of law and allow the court to decide,” he said.
Bukarti noted that even if a warrant were later found to be defective, evidence recovered could still be admissible, while any wrongdoing in obtaining the warrant would be addressed separately by the courts.
“If the evidence was found in El-Rufai’s house, that evidence is still admissible under our laws. Then the question will be for those who committed the fraud in obtaining the search warrant, if any, to be punished, or for the court to compensate Mallam El-Rufai for the improper search warrant executed,” he explained.
Family Alleges Smear
The family of Nasir El-Rufai on Monday accused the ICPC of orchestrating what they described as a “malicious smear campaign” over allegations that surveillance and phone-tapping devices were discovered at his Abuja residence.
In a statement issued by his son, Mohammed Bello El‑Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives, the family rejected claims that the former governor failed to cooperate with investigators.
They argued that his silence is a constitutional right and cannot be interpreted as non-cooperation.
The family also dismissed reports that sophisticated espionage equipment was recovered, stating that only old personal phones, laptops, and flash drives were taken.
They further alleged that the warrant authorising the search lacked jurisdiction and may have been improperly obtained.
Meanwhile, El-Rufai has filed a ₦1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit challenging the legality of the search and seizure carried out at his residence.
The suit, filed through his legal team led by Oluwole Iyamu, names the ICPC, the Chief Magistrate of the FCT Magistrate’s Court, the Nigeria Police Force through the Inspector-General of Police, and the Attorney‑General of the Federation Nigeria as respondents.
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