According to a report by The Punch on Friday, March 13, 2026, the legal woes of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, have deepened following a fresh ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
On Thursday, March 12, 2026, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik granted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) official permission to break into and analyze all electronic devices seized from El-Rufai’s Abuja residence.
This order allows forensic experts to extract sensitive data, including private WhatsApp conversations, text messages, call logs, and photos.
Among the items to be scrutinized are an Apple MacBook Pro, multiple iPhones, Blackberry and Samsung devices, and over ten flash drives.
The court held that the anti-graft agency is legally entitled to examine these items as part of its ongoing corruption investigation.
El-Rufai had previously tried to block the move, filing a ₦1 billion fundamental rights suit against the ICPC and the Police.
He argued that the raid on his Aso Drive home was a violation of his privacy and demanded the immediate return of his gadgets.
However, the ICPC countered that the search was conducted with a valid warrant following a high-profile petition against the former governor.
The former governor’s troubles began shortly after his return from Cairo in February 2026. Since then, he has faced a whirlwind of legal battles, including detention by the EFCC and a separate suit by the DSS accusing him of wire-tapping the phone of National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
With this latest court victory for the ICPC, investigators now have the green light to dig through the former governor’s digital footprint for evidence......…