Aichatou El-Rufai, wife of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has threatened legal action against the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) over what she described as defamatory remarks contained in a recent statement issued by the commission.
In a pre-action notice sent to the chairman of the anti-graft agency through her lawyers, Aichatou demanded N2 billion in damages over a press statement released by the commission on May 18, 2026.
The statement, titled: “Clarification on the Access Control Protocol at ICPC Headquarters, Abuja,” was reportedly signed by the commission’s Head of Media and Public Communications, J. Okor Odey.
According to her legal team, the statement described her as “a woman who identified herself as wife of the defendant,” a wording they argued falsely implied that she was not legally married to the former governor.
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Her lawyers maintained that the statement damaged her reputation and exposed her to ridicule, embarrassment and public contempt.
They further accused the commission of making comments capable of lowering her status in the eyes of reasonable members of the public and demanded an immediate retraction alongside financial compensation.
The development adds to the ongoing legal and political controversies surrounding the former Kaduna governor and his family.
