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Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding the reported release of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
This comes as ICPC on Friday released El-Rufai after his mother, Hajiya Umma, passed on in Egypt.
Reacting, Effiong, in a post on X, questioned the legality of the process, noting that a suspect remanded by a court order cannot be released without proper recourse to the same court.
“A person who’s remanded by an order of a court cannot be released legally without recourse to the court,” he wrote.
He further expressed skepticism over the development, drawing a parallel with the late Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti’s criticism of government actions, asking if the situation was “another government magic.”
The lawyer called on the anti-corruption agency to clarify the procedure it followed in securing El-Rufai’s release, especially as the former governor’s motion for bail is reportedly scheduled to be heard on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
“@icpcnigeria, can you clarify the procedure adopted in this case? El-Rufai’s motion for bail is slated for Tuesday, March 31, 2026. How was his release processed?” Effiong queried.
El-Rufai: ‘Another APC Govt Magic’ – Lawyer questions ICPC over release procedure
