The legal team of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has refuted recent media reports claiming that a Federal High Court in Kaduna issued a ₦900 million judgment against him in a human rights case.
In a statement dated June 4, 2025, and signed by Sule Sheikh Umoru, a partner at A.U. Mustapha & Co., El-Rufai’s lawyers clarified that no financial or legal judgment was entered against their client.
The case, Suit No: FHC/CS/23/2024, presided over by Justice H. Buhari, involved six respondents, including El-Rufai (1st Respondent), the Kaduna State Governor, Nigeria Police Force, Inspector General of Police, Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, and the Kaduna State Attorney General.
Umoru explained that El-Rufai only became aware of the case through media coverage, as he was never served court documents or notified of any hearing.
Following the reports, the legal team obtained the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment on June 4, after delays caused by a Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) strike.
The CTC, according to the lawyers, confirmed that the court made no findings of liability against El-Rufai and issued no monetary award in his name.
While the judgment acknowledged a statement allegedly made by El-Rufai during a meeting with the Adara community—where he was said to have described the applicant, Awemi Dio Maisamari, as “part of the problem”—the court found no evidence linking him to Maisamari’s subsequent arrest.
“The applicant ought to have adduced evidence to support the assertion that it was the 1st respondent who ordered his arrest through the agents of the 3rd to 5th Respondents,” the court stated, as cited in the legal team’s release.
The financial awards, the lawyers noted, were directed solely at the Nigeria Police Force, the IGP, and the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police — the 3rd to 5th respondents. These included:
- ₦10 million in compensation
- ₦10 million in general damages
- A refund of court filing fees
Describing the media coverage as “false and misleading,” the legal team urged journalists to rely on verified court records before reporting legal matters.
“This kind of misreporting not only misinforms the public but also undermines confidence in the judiciary,” the statement read.
To support their claims, the legal team attached a copy of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment to their press release.
