ADC Chieftain Criticizes ICPC, Demands Immediate Release of El-Rufai

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) has been urged by Usman Okai Austin, a leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to either prosecute former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai with a crime or to free him right away.

He criticized the ICPC in a statement released on Saturday for holding El-Rufai in custody before wrapping up its probe.

He compared this to the Department of State Service’s (DSS) recent actions, pointing out that the DSS has put the legal system ahead of “drama and a show of power.”

Okai asserts that the DSS’s choice to go to court instead of using arbitrary imprisonment is both democratic and civil.

“Letting the court make a decision based on merit-based arguments is the appropriate way to handle such matters.” On the other hand, it seems that the ICPC is above the law given its current course.

Detaining someone before finishing an investigation is “retrograde, undemocratic, and illegal,” according to Okai.

El-Rufai freely accepted an invitation from the EFCC, demonstrating complete cooperation and demonstrating that he is not a flight risk, he said.

The lack of transparency behind El-Rufai’s shift between agencies was also questioned in the statement.

The EFCC has not yet disclosed if Mallam El-Rufai was re-arrested following the issuance of administrative bail or if he was formally turned over to the ICPC. The rule of law is undermined by this ambiguity,” he stated.

Okai emphasized that a key component of international best practice is defending the rights of the innocent until and unless found guilty.

He cautioned anti-corruption organizations against turning into “tools of oppression.”

“It is a flagrant violation of the right to a fair hearing to detain a suspect before starting an investigation.

The norms of a civilized society must be upheld by the ICPC. Make an argument in court if there is a case against El-Rufai. If not, he ought to be freed right away,” he continued.