Hadiza el-Rufai, wife of Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, has poked fun at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over claims that wiretapping equipment was recovered from their Abuja residence.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Hadiza reacted to media reports
quoting the ICPC as saying electronic magnetic devices capable of tapping
conversations were retrieved during a search of the property.
“You forgot to mention that you also took away my bank
tokens,” she wrote.
“I swear to God, they are not wiretapping equipment.”
The ICPC had told the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high
court in an affidavit that it recovered equipment allegedly capable of tapping
conversations, and sensitive security documents, during a February 19 search of
the ex-minister’s home.
The commission is investigating el-Rufai over alleged
financial improprieties during his stint as governor of Kaduna between 2015 and
2023.
In the affidavit, the anti-graft agency said: “During the
Search operations, the Commission retrieved electronic magnetic equipment
capable of tapping conversations, and he was asked to give consent to enable
the Commission access to the equipment, but he refused.”
However, el-Rufai’s family has rejected the allegation.
‘DISCARDED MOBILE PHONES’
In a statement issued on Monday, the family described the
claim as “falsehood”.
“We were present when these items were seized,” the
statement reads.
“No equipment other than old discarded personal mobile
phones — some dating back as much as 20 years — and storage devices like flash
drives and laptops, which are standard possessions of any 21st-century citizen,
were removed from the property.”
The family also accused the anti-graft agency of portraying
el-Rufai’s decision to remain silent during questioning as non-cooperation.
Citing the 1999 Constitution, they argued that every citizen
has the right to remain silent and that no adverse inference should be drawn
from exercising that right.
They further alleged that the search was conducted on the
basis of a “legally defective” warrant and said their lawyers have challenged
same in court.
In February, el-Rufai had alleged that someone tapped the
phone of Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA), enabling him to listen
to a conversation in which he claimed the NSA ordered his arrest.
The former governor acknowledged that such action would be
illegal but alleged that government agencies sometimes engage in similar
practices without court orders.
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