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JUDGE WITHDRAWS FROM EL-RUFAI’S CASE, PROCEEDS ON LEAVE

February 28, 2026 • Dons Eze • 1 min read

Justice Hussaini Belgore of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has stepped down from hearing the fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, citing plans to proceed on leave.

Following his withdrawal, the case file has been returned to the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court for reassignment to another judge.

The suit, filed at the FCT High Court, centres on alleged violations of El-Rufai’s fundamental rights. He raised concerns over actions taken by agencies including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

In the suit, El-Rufai also referenced the invasion of his Abuja residence and mentioned the involvement of other agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) in ongoing legal matters concerning him.

Recall Tribune online reported that Malam Nasir El-Rufai asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to quash the charges preferred against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) for being incompetent, disclosing no offence known to law, and constituting a gross abuse of court process.

Dons Eze

DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.