El-Rufai Fires Back, Demands ICPC Retract ‘False’ Medical Visit Claim

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has strongly rejected allegations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) that he abused a court-approved medical visit while in custody, describing the claims as inaccurate and a misrepresentation of both the facts and the applicable law.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by his media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai maintained that the anti-graft agency’s account of the incident was misleading and called for the immediate withdrawal of its allegations. He also demanded the unconditional release of his personal physician, Professor Bello Abubakar, who was reportedly arrested by the commission.

The response followed the ICPC’s statement released on July 7, in which the commission alleged that El-Rufai and his doctor violated a court order during a medical visit.

El-Rufai’s camp argued that his inability to appear before a Kaduna court on July 6 was due to an unresolved medical condition, stressing that the commission had been informed of his health challenges before the scheduled court proceedings.

The statement explained that Professor Abubakar had previously sought to examine the former governor at the ICPC facility after consulting with the commission’s medical personnel but was allegedly denied access despite waiting for over two hours. It further stated that El-Rufai’s family later requested that he be taken to the National Hospital in Abuja for medical evaluation, insisting the request had been made before they were notified of the planned court appearance.

Adekeye dismissed suggestions that the medical consultation was arranged to frustrate the court process, insisting that El-Rufai’s health concerns were genuine and remained unresolved ahead of the scheduled trip to Kaduna.

The former governor’s team also disputed the ICPC’s claim that he breached a subsisting court order during the hospital visit. According to the statement, the order, issued on April 1, 2026, by Justice R.M. Aikawa in Charge No. FHC/KD/73C/2026, guarantees El-Rufai access to medical treatment while in custody and does not impose restrictions on who may visit or interact with him during such consultations.

It further maintained that the hospital visit complied fully with the court’s directives and rejected claims that the exercise was transformed into a political gathering. The statement alleged that the ICPC changed the scheduled medical appointment from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. without notifying the family until the morning of the visit, adding that the commission’s personnel were present throughout the exercise.

El-Rufai’s media team argued that the sequence of events contradicted the commission’s assertion that the hospital visit was used to organise a political meeting.

The statement also criticised the arrest of Professor Abubakar, demanding that the ICPC publicly disclose the specific allegation against the physician and secure his immediate release pending any formal proceedings.

Reaffirming its position, El-Rufai’s camp stressed that access to medical treatment is a legal right rather than a privilege, citing both the subsisting court order and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.

The statement concluded by warning that any attempt to deny El-Rufai access to medical care, his legal representatives or family members could amount to contempt of court, while insisting that the facts surrounding the hospital visit did not support the allegations made by the anti-graft agency.