The ICPC’s release of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai from custody without recourse to the court that ordered his remand is illegal, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Femi Falana, has said.
He said the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)’s action highlights the entrenched cultures of disregard for court orders and selective enforcement in the country.
In an interview with Premium Times on Saturday, Chief Falana described the former governor’s release as illegal and amounted to overruling the court.
The senior lawyer said, “What they did is wrong and illegal. No agency or individual, no matter how powerful, can overrule the court.”
The human rights lawyer said, “El-Rufai was detained pursuant to a court order, and only the court can reverse it.”
On Match 24, the Federal High Court in Kaduna renewed el-Rufai’s detention order by further remanding him in ICPC custody shortly after the agency arraigned him on corruption charges.
The presiding judge, Ridwan Aikawa, ordered Mr el-Rufai’s remand till March 31 scheduled for the hearing of his bail application.
However, the former governor was released on Friday hours after the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma el-Rufai.
Hajiya Umma died in a hospital in Cairo, Egypt, after a protracted illness.
