Previous Kaduna State leader, Nasir El-Rufai, has claimed that representatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) attempted to force him to withdraw from political involvement as a prerequisite for his release from custody.
The assertion was included in a 30-page legal complaint submitted by El-Rufai to a court against the ICPC chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, along with four additional officials from the anti-corruption agency.
As per the submission, El-Rufai alleged that agents of the commission notified him during his confinement that he would only regain his liberty if he ceased engaging in politics.
The assertion was detailed in Paragraph 12 of the complaint, where the previous governor contended that ICPC agents, reportedly operating under the authority of the commission’s chairman, informed him that his liberation was conditional upon discontinuing all political endeavors.
El-Rufai maintained that such a request constituted an effort to force him to relinquish his constitutional rights.
The claim was further elaborated in the affidavit backing the complaint, especially in Paragraphs 22 to 24, where his legal representative stated that the former governor was repeatedly warned that persisting in political activities could extend his confinement and that only a pledge to withdraw from politics would ensure his release.
The allegation serves as the foundation of Count Six in the complaint, which charges the officials with unlawful detention with intent to coerce, an offense referenced under Sections 264 and 267 of the Penal Code.
El-Rufai is requesting the court to scrutinize the actions of the ICPC officials, asserting that the purported conduct signifies an abuse of power and an illegal attempt to limit his involvement in the political arena.
The ICPC has yet to provide a public response to the allegations presented in the legal submission.
