Nasir El-Rufai Urges Court To Dismiss Department Of State Services Charge, Demands ₦2bn In Costs

Nasir El-Rufai has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, urging it to dismiss the criminal charges instituted against him by the Department of State Services.

According to Ireporter Online, the former Kaduna State governor described the charges as incompetent, unconstitutional and a clear abuse of court process. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026 and dated February 16, 2026, is slated for hearing on February 25 before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.

In his application, El-Rufai is seeking an order striking out or quashing the charge on the grounds that it fails to disclose any offence known to law and does not establish a prima facie case against him. He further urged the court to discharge him entirely, insisting that the prosecution is legally defective and procedurally flawed.

The former governor is also demanding ₦2 billion in costs against the DSS, accusing the agency of weaponising the criminal justice system to harass, embarrass and publicly victimise him.

Court filings indicate that El-Rufai’s motion outlines 17 grounds for dismissing the charge. His legal team reportedly informed the Director-General of the DSS of the application in a letter dated February 18, providing details of his counsel ahead of the scheduled hearing.

Among the grounds advanced are claims of constitutional invalidity, absence of a prima facie case, citation of offences unknown to law, lack of prosecutorial competence, duplicity of charges, absence of credible evidence, bad faith, political persecution and abuse of court process.

El-Rufai also contended that the prosecution infringes on his fundamental rights as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), including the presumption of innocence and protection against self-incrimination. He further alleged violations of provisions requiring offences to be clearly defined by written law, as well as breaches of his rights to freedom of expression and association.

The application, dated February 24, 2026, was signed by his media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye. The court is expected to hear arguments on the motion when the matter is called on February 25.