This is a masterpiece. The way @iamayolawal brilliantly analysed the current administration’s failures and presented Atiku’s alternative is more than enough to convince fence-sitters of whom to vote for in next year’s general elections.
THE EL RUFAI SO-CALLED SEARCH WARRANT:
ICPC’s Masterpiece of Legal Fiction.
1. Oh, bravo, ICPC! In a stroke of unparalleled genius, you’ve not only mangled the basics of warrant issuance but have conjured a juridical chimera straight from the annals of fantasy law.
2. Behold the “search warrant” – that tattered relic of procedural ineptitude, Criminal Form D (CPOROAS.36), ostensibly birthed from the Magistrate’s Court of the Federal Capital Territory.
3. But wait, what’s this? A stamp in the lower right corner, proudly proclaiming the authorship of one Mr. Okechukwu Akweke, “Magistrate of the High Court of the FCT”?
4. Magnificent! You’ve rewritten the Nigerian Constitution overnight, merging the humble Magistrate’s Court with the exalted High Court, and elevated a mere magistrate to sit in a forum reserved for judges. What a promotion! Perhaps next, you’ll appoint a traffic warden to the Supreme Court bench.
5. This “unicorn of the law,” as aptly dubbed, isn’t just a clerical slip – it’s a grotesque illegality, a blatant jurisdictional farce that screams forgery or, at best, the kind of bureaucratic buffoonery that would make even the most jaded legal scholar weep with laughter.
6. Let’s dissect this abomination with the precision it so richly deserves – or rather, lacks entirely.
7. First, the foundational fraud: Under Section 144 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 (ACJA), a search warrant must emanate from a competent judicial officer, such as a magistrate in their proper court.
8. But here, our illustrious Mr. Akweke purports to wield authority from the “High Court of the FCT,” a tribunal where magistrates do not preside – that’s the domain of High Court Judges, as per Section 270 of the Constitution.
9. Congratulations, ICPC; you’ve invented a hybrid court that exists nowhere in Nigerian jurisprudence. This isn’t mere oversight; it’s a constitutional rearrangement, a bold defiance of the separation of powers that would have the framers of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) rolling in their graves.
10. If this stamp isn’t a forgery under Section 465 of the Criminal Code Act – and oh, how it reeks of one – then it’s evidence of such profound incompetence that it voids the warrant ab initio.
11. After all, a document signed by a phantom magistrate in a nonexistent court is about as legally binding as a child’s crayon drawing.
12. Then there’s the substance – or the hilarious absence thereof. The warrant drones on about “the thing aforesaid” without ever specifying what that “thing” is, breaching Section 144 of the ACJA’s insistence on particularity to prevent fishing expeditions.
13. It’s a blank check for intrusion, a general warrant outlawed since colonial times, mocking Section 37 of the Constitution’s protection against unreasonable searches.
14. The execution parameters? A contradictory gem: limited to 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., yet magically extendable to “any hour during day or night.” Under Section 148 of the ACJA, warrants must be clear, not schizophrenic. And directing it to “ALL ICPC officeRsToALL And PLice OfFicERS”?
15. Overbroad doesn’t begin to cover it – Section 147 demands specificity, not a nationwide free-for-all that invites abuse.
16. As for probable cause? The warrant references “information upon oath” but provides none – no details, no offense, just a truncated clause that evaporates mid-sentence, flouting Section 143 of the ACJA. This isn’t law enforcement; it’s legal theater, a poorly scripted farce where the ICPC plays the bumbling villain, trampling rights with gleeful abandon.
17. In sum, this warrant isn’t just defective; it’s a monument to institutional hubris, a “grotesque illegality” that exposes the ICPC to ridicule, quashing, and damages.
18. Mr. Akweke, that mythical “magistrate of the High Court,” will indeed answer soon – perhaps in a real court, facing scrutiny for this unicornian blunder.
UBONG ESOP AKPAN
Try as much as you can to repost or share any beneficial Islamic posts you come across. The message reached you for a reason & it will be recorded as a reoccurring good deed for you for anyone it reaches through you. May Allah bless us all and purify our intentions....
Exactly 33 years ago, we lost a father, a sage and a leader, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi to the cold but inevitable hands of death. I was four years old when he passed. Despite being family friends with his children and grand children, I could not recall a lot at a young age. However, while growing up, I made it a point to study his teachings, preachings and way of life. He embodied tolerance, simplicity and compassion and as a result, I pray for him till this very day. Amongst his many good deeds, his effort to translate the Holy Quran to Hausa language in order for the common man and women to better understand our beautiful religion and the rights provided to them is what stands out the most for me. Three decades later, we pray that Allah SWT continues to bless his memory and elevate his soul to Aljannatul Firdausi. Leaders like him, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sheikh Muhammad Auwal Albani Zaria, Abubakar Tafa Balewa, Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Dora Akunliyi, Sheikh Jafar Mahmud Adam, President Buhari, Babatunde Fashola, Michael Okpara, Audu Bako and many others continue to be a personal inspiration to me as a public servant. On behalf of the people of Kaduna North that I humbly represent, I beg you to pray for the soul of our father Sheikh Abubakar Gummi today.
Signed
Mohammed Bello El-Rufai
Member
Kaduna North Federal Constituency
Chairman, Committee on Banking Regulations.
September 11, 2025.
#KADIHE1.0's Board Chairman, Bldr. Shamsudeen Yusuf Muhammad, Bulaman Zazzau, a seasoned builder and property developer who leverages his extensive experience as MD/CEO of Rhyeno Construction Ltd to shape the future of housing and development in Kaduna. #buildingthefuturetogether
Happy birthday to our father, and mentor. The one and only indefatigable living legend, the certified ruffler of feathers Mal Nasir El-Rufai. @elrufai Baba we wish you nothing but Allah’s blessings, success, guidance and happiness. We will never forget.
Happy birthday to our father, and mentor. The one and only indefatigable living legend, the certified ruffler of feathers Mal Nasir El-Rufai. Baba we wish you nothing but Allah’s blessings, success, guidance and happiness. We will never forget.
“When you become emotionally mature, you do not respond negatively to the criticism & resentment of others. Identify yourself with your aim in life, and don’t permit any person, place, or thing to deflect you from your inner sense of peace, tranquility & radiant health.”- JMurphy