The family of Nasir Ahmad El‑Rufai, former Governor of Kaduna State, has denied allegations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) that phone-tapping equipment was recovered from his residence.
In a statement issued on Monday, the family described the claims as false and accused the ICPC of spreading misinformation.
The family said El-Rufai’s decision to remain silent during investigations was a constitutional right, not refusal to cooperate.
They argued that Nigerian law guarantees every citizen the right to silence and forbids negative inferences from exercising that right.
According to the statement, only old mobile phones, laptops, and storage devices were taken from the residence during the search.
The family denied the existence of any surveillance or phone-tapping equipment allegedly listed by the ICPC.
They also claimed the search was conducted using a defective and unlawfully obtained warrant.
The statement alleged that the warrant was issued without proper jurisdiction and has been challenged in court.
The family said the legality of the warrant forms the basis of ongoing judicial proceedings.
They added that all seized items and related claims would be contested through legal channels.
The statement was signed by Mohammed Bello El‑Rufai, who said the family would not submit to trial by public opinion.
He said the family remains confident that the judiciary will resolve the matter based on law and evidence.
