Aichatou El-Rufai, wife of detained former Kaduna State governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has issued a pre-action notice against the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, demanding ₦2bn in damages over statements she says damaged her reputation.
The notice, filed by her legal team, targets a press statement the commission released on May 18, 2026, titled “Clarification on the Access Control Protocol at ICPC Headquarters, Abuja,” which was read by spokesperson J. Okor Odey.
Her lawyers argued that the statement’s description of her as “a woman who identified herself as the wife of a defendant” cast doubt on her status as El-Rufai’s lawful spouse and exposed her to public ridicule.
They further contended that the commission’s characterisation of her earlier claims as “false and misleading” portrayed her as dishonest and manipulative before a wide audience, while allegations that she breached visitation protocols at the facility depicted her as someone who disregards institutional rules.
The legal team also objected to portions of the statement that they said suggested she contradicted herself over claims that her husband was denied food while in custody, arguing the remarks undermined her credibility. They described as malicious a separate implication that she staged a media spectacle to circumvent official procedures.
The notice states that the publication has circulated widely both within Nigeria and internationally, causing reputational damage to a woman her lawyers described as being of “unblemished character.”
Mrs El-Rufai’s legal team is demanding an immediate retraction and public apology to be published in at least three national newspapers and across the commission’s official digital platforms. They are also seeking ₦2 billion in general, aggravated, and exemplary damages, as well as a written undertaking against future similar statements.
The ICPC has been given 14 days to comply or face a lawsuit.
