El-Rufai’s Son Denies Phone-Tapping Devices Recovered From Father’s Home

The family of former Kaduna State governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has denied allegations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) that phone-tapping equipment was recovered from his residence.

A statement signed by Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, who’s a member of the House of Representatives, on behalf of the family said it received the allegations with a “mixture of contempt and amusement,” describing the claims as “a litany of allegations, falsehoods, and theatrical posturing.”

The statement accused the commission of engaging in “a circus of chicanery, apparently designed to prosecute a media war rather than adhere to the rule of law,” and said the family was compelled “to set the record straight and expose the malicious intent behind this orchestrated smear campaign.”

On the issue of alleged non-cooperation, the family stated, “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees every citizen the right to remain silent. This is not an act of non-cooperation; it is a fundamental human right.”

It added that “no law enforcement agency… is entitled to draw any negative inference from a citizen’s decision to exercise this constitutional hermetic seal,” and described the ICPC’s position as “a confession of their own inquisitorial mindset and their disregard for the very laws they are sworn to uphold.”

The statement reiterated El-Rufai’s position to investigators to, “Charge me, if you have anything against me. You have had more than 2 years to investigate me. Take me to court please.”

Addressing the alleged seizure of surveillance devices, the family said, “The ICPC’s press statement presented a list of seized equipment designed to conjure images of espionage and criminality. This list is a work of fiction.”

It further insisted, “We were present when these items were seized. No equipment other than old discarded personal mobile phones… storage devices like flash drives and laptops… were seized from the property.”

The alleged “sophisticated tapping equipment” and “sensitive security documents,” the family said, “exist only in the fevered imagination of the ICPC and its press team.”

On the legality of the search, the statement claimed, “The entire foundation of this investigation is rotten.”

It alleged that the search was based on “a legally defective warrant,” adding:
“We have credible evidence that the warrant was a forgery.”

The family argued that “an illegality of this magnitude… renders everything that follows it inadmissible and void,” and confirmed that their lawyers have challenged the warrant in court.

The statement said, “We will not be tried in the court of public opinion by a discredited agency acting on behalf of political masters.”

It added that the family has “absolute faith that the Nigerian judiciary will see through this shameful charade and uphold the rights of our family against this executive overreach.”