Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has approached the Federal High Court seeking to quash charges filed against him by the Department of State Services (DSS), describing the prosecution as an abuse of court process.

In a statement issued by his media adviser, Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai confirmed that he had filed an application before the Federal High Court to challenge the competence and legality of Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026 instituted against him by the secret service.

The matter is scheduled for hearing on February 25, 2026, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.

In a motion on notice, El-Rufai is urging the court to strike out the charge on the grounds that it is incompetent, discloses no offence known to law, and constitutes what he describes as a gross abuse of court process.

Among the reliefs sought, the former governor is asking for an order quashing the charge in its entirety, an order discharging him on the basis that no prima facie case has been established, and an order awarding ₦2 billion in costs against the DSS for what he terms a misuse of the criminal justice system.

Court documents indicate that the motion is supported by 17 grounds, including claims of constitutional invalidity, lack of prosecutorial competence, absence of evidence, and alleged political persecution.

The application further contends that the prosecution violates several constitutional safeguards, including the presumption of innocence, the right against self-incrimination, the requirement that offences be defined in written law, as well as the freedoms of expression and association.

El-Rufai’s legal team has formally notified the Director-General of the DSS of the application and provided details of his counsel.

The court is expected to hear arguments from both parties when the case comes up on February 25. The outcome will determine whether the charges proceed to trial or are struck out at this preliminary stage.