According to a statement on Sunday by the Head of Media and Public Communications of the ICPC, J. Okor Odey, the court held that the anti-graft agency did not violate Adoga’s fundamental rights during its investigation.
Adoga had, in Suit No. CV/1012/2026 before the FCT High Court, alleged that the ICPC unlawfully denied him access to his family and legal representatives and compelled him to make statements while in custody.
He sought declarations that his rights had been breached, an order of habeas corpus, damages, and injunctions restraining the Commission from further investigating, detaining or prosecuting him over the matter.
However, the ICPC denied the allegations, insisting that Adoga was lawfully invited for questioning following a petition and reasonable suspicion linking him to alleged corrupt practices and suspicious financial transactions involving the diversion of Kaduna State Government funds.
The Commission maintained that Adoga was granted administrative bail during the investigation and was later detained pursuant to a valid remand order issued by a competent court.
It added that after investigations were concluded, he was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Kaduna, where he was granted bail, noting that any continued detention resulted from his inability to meet the bail conditions imposed by the trial court.
The ICPC also told the court that Adoga was never denied access to his family members or lawyers and that all statements he made during the investigation were voluntarily obtained under caution in the presence of his legal counsel.
Adoga is facing a 10-count charge alongside El-Rufai before the Federal High Court, Kaduna. The charges include allegations that between 2016 and 2023, the former governor received various sums of money in United States dollars through his domiciliary account, including $320,800 allegedly paid in tranches by Adoga, alongside other deposits suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The prosecution also alleged that Adoga conspired with El-Rufai in July 2019 to conceal the origin of a $10,000 deposit into the account.
Delivering judgment, Justice M.S. Idris held that Adoga failed to establish any violation of his constitutional rights by the ICPC.
The court dismissed the suit in its entirety and affirmed that the Commission acted within the ambit of the law.
Reacting to the judgment, the ICPC reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the rule of law, respecting the constitutional rights of citizens, and diligently carrying out its statutory mandate of investigating and prosecuting corruption-related offences.