The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it is yet to be served with the N2bn pre-action notice filed by Aichatou El-Rufai, wife of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over alleged defamatory statements credited to the anti-graft agency.
Aichatou, through her legal team, had issued the notice to the ICPC Chairman following a press statement titled “Clarification on the Access Control Protocol at ICPC Headquarters, Abuja,” released on May 18, 2026.
Her lawyers argued that portions of the statement, read by ICPC spokesperson John Odey, were defamatory and had damaged her public image.
However, speaking in a telephone interview with Sunday PUNCH, Odey said the commission had not been formally served the court documents.
“I have not seen it but I will confirm on Monday and get back to you,” he said.
The legal team specifically faulted the ICPC’s description of Aichatou as “a woman who identified herself as the wife of a defendant,” insisting that the phrase questioned her status as the lawful spouse of the former governor.
They also argued that the commission’s claim that her earlier statements were “false and misleading” portrayed her as dishonest and harmed her reputation.
According to the lawyers, allegations that she breached visitation protocols at the ICPC headquarters further portrayed her as someone who disregards institutional procedures.
They also challenged sections of the statement suggesting she contradicted herself over claims that her husband was denied food while in custody, insisting the remarks damaged her credibility and integrity.
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The legal team further argued that the publication, which circulated widely across local and international platforms, exposed her to public ridicule and reputational harm.
Describing her as a woman of “unblemished character,” the lawyers accused the commission of using its official platform to unfairly target a private citizen.
Among their demands, the lawyers are seeking a full retraction of the statement and a public apology to be published in at least three national newspapers, as well as on ICPC’s official digital platforms.
They are also demanding N2bn in general, aggravated and exemplary damages, alongside a written undertaking that the commission will not make similar statements in the future.
The ICPC has been given 14 days to comply, failing which the legal team says it will initiate legal action against the agency.