Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has rejected allegations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) that he abused medical privileges or violated a court order while in custody. In a statement issued on Wednesday by his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai accused the anti-graft agency of misrepresenting both facts and law. His defence team has demanded the retraction of the ICPC's 7 July publication titled 'El Rufai and Medical Doctor Abuse Privilege, Violate Court Order.'
Background of the Medical Issue
El-Rufai's non-appearance in court on 6 July arose from an unresolved medical situation that had been on record with the ICPC beforehand. During the preceding week, Professor Bello Abubakar, El-Rufai's personal physician, came to the ICPC facility to examine him, having first spoken with the ICPC's own attending doctor. Despite that prior coordination, Professor Abubakar was kept waiting for over two hours and was ultimately not permitted to see his patient.
Following that denial, the family formally requested, in writing, that El-Rufai be taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, to see Professor Abubakar for a consultation at 5:00pm on Tuesday, 7 July 2026. The ICPC conveyed that request to the National Hospital several days before any family member was informed of a proposed court sitting in Kaduna on 6 July. Each step in this sequence falls within the entitlement to medical access secured by the standing order of Justice R.M. Aikawa of 1 April 2026 in Charge No. FHC/KD/73C/2026.
Court Proceedings on 6 July
El-Rufai did not travel to Kaduna on 6 July due to his unresolved medical need, the documented denial of access to his physician, and his continuing ill health. The ICPC statement asserts that the former governor 'did not appear before the court,' that he 'declined to accompany' the officers who came to convey him, and that when asked by the Commission's medical doctor he 'reportedly indicated that he had no immediate medical complaints but stated that his wife … had requested that he see his personal physician.'
The defence argues that this account omits the medical history: the ICPC had known for a week of the outstanding request for El-Rufai to see Professor Abubakar, the earlier denial of that access, and the family's already-approved arrangement for a hospital visit on 7 July. In open court on 6 July, the prosecution sought to place this account before the court from the Bar—submissions of counsel rather than sworn testimony—in support of an application that the trial proceed in El-Rufai's absence. No witness was called and no evidence was tendered. When the defence objected, the prosecution declined to enter the witness box. The court subsequently adjourned the matter to 15 July 2026 to hear El-Rufai's recusal application and await the Chief Judge's directive on a pending transfer petition.
No Order Violated by Medical Visit
The ICPC statement refers to a 'court-approved medical visit' and asserts that photographs later circulated show 'a clear violation of the court order.' The defence notes that no such order is identified by date, forum, or terms. The only order in existence on this subject is Justice Aikawa's order of 1 April 2026, which directs that El-Rufai be afforded access to medical care in custody; it does not regulate, restrict, or impose conditions on who may see or be seen by him while that access is being exercised. The ICPC's suggestion that this order was 'violated' by his being seen by other persons at the hospital misstates the order's terms.
On the ICPC's own account, what occurred on the day of the visit was that the ICPC 'facilitated the defendant's request to receive medical attention under appropriate security arrangements.' That was compliance with its existing obligation under the 1 April order, not a discretionary favour.
Sequence of Events at the Hospital
The family's request, as approved by the ICPC, was for a consultation at 5:00pm on 7 July—a quiet period at the hospital. The ICPC unilaterally rescheduled the consultation to 10:00am the same day, a materially busier period, and did not inform the family of the change until the morning of the visit. After the consultation with his personal physician, Professor Bello Abubakar, an oncologist, in a private consultation room, El-Rufai remained in a public area of the hospital's private wing for approximately one hour while awaiting a written medical report—a report the ICPC itself required before he could be returned to custody.
Some people became aware of his expected presence at the National Hospital and reached out with a request to see him, which was obliged. Other persons who merely encountered him as he waited also came around for greetings. The ICPC's narrative that this visit was converted into a political meeting takes no account of its own conduct: it was the Commission that moved the appointment from a quiet 5:00pm slot to a high-traffic 10:00am slot, without notice, and its own personnel were stationed at the scene throughout.
Medical Care and the Nelson Mandela Rules
The ICPC statement characterises its accommodation of El-Rufai's medical needs as 'professional courtesies' and 'goodwill' that it will no longer extend. The defence counters that access to necessary medical care, including consultation with a physician of one's choosing, is not a matter of institutional discretion. It is addressed in the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules). Rule 24 provides that prisoners should enjoy the same standard of health care available in the community; Rule 27 requires prompt access to medical treatment in urgent cases; Rule 32 provides that the physician-prisoner relationship is governed by ethical and professional standards, including confidentiality.
El-Rufai's entitlement to medical care in custody is also the subject of the express order of Justice Aikawa of 1 April 2026, served on the ICPC. The defence states that any further restriction of his access to medical care, family, or legal counsel will be treated as a breach of that order, and his counsels will meet any such breach with an immediate application to commit the ICPC for contempt.
Arrest of Professor Bello Abubakar
The ICPC statement records that 'Professor Bello Abubakar has been arrested for making false statements.' The defence calls on the ICPC to state with specificity: what statement is alleged to be false; whether it was made orally or in writing, and to whom; the date and context; and whether the Professor was afforded statutory cautions before his arrest. In the absence of such particulars, the arrest of a treating physician immediately following his attendance on a patient in ICPC custody raises serious questions. The defence calls for Professor Abubakar's immediate and unconditional release pending disclosure of the specific allegation.
Alleged Disobedience of Court Orders
The ICPC states that it will 'bring to the attention of the courts the flagrant disobedience of court orders.' The defence asserts that no order has been disobeyed. The only order bearing on this subject—the 1 April 2026 order of Justice Aikawa—entities El-Rufai to medical care and has been complied with, not disobeyed.
Conclusion
The ICPC's statement of 7 July 2026 rests on an incomplete and, in material respects, inaccurate account of the proceedings before and on 6 July, and of the circumstances of the medical visit that followed. The defence calls on the ICPC to retract the statement insofar as it asserts a breach of a court order. El-Rufai will continue to assert his right to a fair trial, his right to medical care of his choosing under the order of Justice Aikawa and the Nelson Mandela Rules, and his right to be treated in accordance with the standards guaranteed by law.
