ICPC Faces N2bn Defamation Claim Over Statement On El-Rufai Custody Visit

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission finds itself facing a N2 billion pre-action defamation notice filed by Aichatou El-Rufai, wife of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, following a public statement the anti-graft agency released in May 2026 regarding an access control incident at its Abuja headquarters.

The commission, however, says it is yet to receive formal details of the notice.

Speaking in a phone interview with Sunday PUNCH, ICPC spokesperson John Odey confirmed he had not yet seen the document. “I have not seen it but I will confirm on Monday and get back to you,” Odey told the newspaper.

The legal action stems from a press statement titled “Clarification on the Access Control Protocol at ICPC Headquarters, Abuja,” which was read publicly by Odey on May 18, 2026. According to the pre-action notice, which was addressed to the ICPC Chairman, portions of that statement were defamatory and caused significant harm to Aichatou’s reputation.

Her legal team raised specific objections to several passages within the publication. The lawyers faulted the commission’s description of Aichatou as “a woman who identified herself as the wife of a defendant,” arguing that the phrasing cast deliberate doubt on her status as the lawful spouse of the former governor. They also challenged the commission’s assertion that her earlier claims were “false and misleading,” contending that such language portrayed her publicly as dishonest and deceptive.

Beyond those points, the notice objected to the commission’s suggestion that Aichatou violated visitation procedures at its headquarters, which her lawyers argued painted her as someone who deliberately disregards institutional protocols. The legal team further challenged sections of the statement they interpreted as implying that Aichatou contradicted herself over claims that her husband was denied food while in ICPC custody.

Taken together, the lawyers argued the remarks were designed, whether intentionally or otherwise, to undermine her credibility and unfairly portray her as staging a media spectacle to circumvent official procedures.

The notice described Aichatou as a woman of “unblemished character” and accused the commission of weaponising its official platform to target a private citizen. Her legal representatives noted that the statement had been widely circulated across local and international media platforms, exposing her to public ridicule, embarrassment and lasting reputational damage.

The demands contained in the notice are extensive. Her lawyers are seeking an immediate retraction of the offending statements alongside a formal public apology, to be published in at least three national newspapers and circulated across the commission’s digital and social media platforms. The notice also demands N2 billion in general, aggravated and exemplary damages, as well as a written undertaking from the ICPC guaranteeing that no similar statements would be made against her in the future.

The commission was given a 14-day window to comply with all demands, after which Aichatou’s legal team said it would commence formal legal proceedings.

Nasir El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023, has been in ICPC custody in connection with an ongoing investigation. The former governor’s detention and the circumstances surrounding it have attracted considerable public attention in recent weeks.