The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has arrested the personal physician of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, accusing the ex-governor of breaching the terms of a court-approved hospital visit granted while he remains in the commission’s custody.
The anti-graft agency said Prof Bello Abubakar was taken into custody on allegations of making false statements, hours after El-Rufai skipped a scheduled court appearance to see him instead.
According to a statement from the commission’s Head of Media and Public Communications, John Odey, the Kaduna State High Court had fixed July 6, 7 and 8, 2026 for an accelerated hearing of the corruption charges against El-Rufai. He did not show up for the first day of proceedings.
The commission said that when its officers arrived to convey him to court, El-Rufai declined to accompany them, insisting instead on seeing his personal doctor. It maintained that no prior request had been made for such a consultation, and that when its own medical doctor examined him, he indicated he had no immediate medical complaints, but explained that his wife, Aisha El-Rufai, who also sits on his legal team, had asked that he see Prof Abubakar.
The court went on to adjourn the matter to July 15, 2026, to hear an application from El-Rufai seeking the recusal of the trial judge, and to await a decision from the Chief Judge of Kaduna State on a separate petition asking that the case be reassigned. Despite the adjournment, the ICPC said it still approved the medical visit in keeping with the court’s earlier directive.
The commission said the visit took place on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at the private wing of the National Hospital in the FCT, and that its medical and security personnel conducted themselves professionally throughout, respecting El-Rufai’s privacy. At the request of his family, officers reportedly waited outside the consultation room while an oncologist examined him.
It was afterwards, the commission said, that it discovered photographs circulating on Facebook, posted by an associate of El-Rufai identified as Isa Ashiru, showing the former governor with several visitors, including Prof Abubakar, during the window set aside for the medical consultation.
“The images and post by Isa Kudan indicated that the arranged medical visit was utilised for activities outside the scope contemplated by the court and the ICPC. This is a clear violation of the court order,” the commission said, adding that it had handled El-Rufai and other suspects in its custody “with patience, professionalism and courtesy,” but that this goodwill had been abused.
“The ICPC will bring to the attention of the courts the flagrant disobedience of court orders by the defendant. The professional and humane nature of the ICPC should not be taken for granted,” the agency said, confirming Prof Abubakar had been taken into custody for further investigation.
“The ICPC reiterates its resolve to continue to operate within the ambit of the law at all times. The commission also wants to make it categorically clear that it will not tolerate, under any guise, the abuse of its goodwill by anybody or group of persons,” the statement added.
Court Proceedings
Earlier on Tuesday, the Kaduna State High Court had already adjourned proceedings to allow the state’s Chief Judge to rule on the application to transfer El-Rufai’s case to another judge. Justice Darius Khobo fixed July 15 for the hearing of that application, after the defence asked the court to step aside, citing a lack of confidence that it would deliver justice.
The accelerated hearing originally slated for July 6, 7 and 8 could not proceed after El-Rufai failed to appear. Lead prosecuting counsel, Chief Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, told the court that the former governor had declined to accompany operatives to court because he wanted to consult his personal physician, adding that El-Rufai had neither informed the commission in advance of the visit nor complained of illness when examined by its medical personnel.
“The defendant was examined by the commission’s doctor and indicated that he had no health complaints. He only stated that he wanted to honour his wife’s request to see his personal doctor,” Adedipe told the court.
He further disclosed that the prosecution had been served on Monday morning with a defence motion seeking Justice Khobo’s recusal and a stay of proceedings pending determination of that application. Adedipe opposed the request, arguing that the Kaduna State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2017 empowers the court to continue with criminal proceedings where a defendant deliberately absents himself, and that the law does not recognise applications seeking to stay criminal proceedings.
Counsel for the defendant, Ubong Akpan, urged the court not to proceed with the accelerated hearing, telling the judge that a formal petition had already been submitted to the Chief Judge of Kaduna State requesting that the matter be reassigned. He argued that with both the recusal application and the transfer petition pending, it would be inappropriate for the trial to continue until the Chief Judge had determined the request.
Ruling on the matter, Justice Khobo agreed with the prosecution that the Administration of Criminal Justice Law permits a court to proceed where a defendant wilfully refuses to attend trial, and that merely filing a recusal application does not automatically stay proceedings. He held, however, that since the Chief Judge had already received the transfer petition, the court would await his directive before proceeding with the substantive trial.
“The court will await the directive of the Honourable Chief Judge on the petition seeking the transfer of this case before proceeding further,” Justice Khobo ruled.
El-Rufai is facing an amended nine-count charge bordering on abuse of office, fraud, conferring undue advantage, irregular award and execution of public contracts, money laundering and unlawful handling of public funds during his eight-year tenure as governor of Kaduna State. The ICPC alleges the offences involved the diversion and mismanagement of public funds, as well as violations of procurement procedures. El-Rufai has pleaded not guilty to all counts and maintains that the prosecution is politically motivated.
ADC Alleges Political Persecution
The African Democratic Congress has accused the Federal Government of subjecting El-Rufai to political persecution, alleging that ICPC operatives denied him access to medical treatment, arrested his personal physician and assaulted his wife.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the incident as evidence that Nigeria was “sliding into tyranny,” and called for El-Rufai to be given immediate access to medical care, his family and his legal representatives.
The ADC claimed El-Rufai was taken to the National Hospital in Abuja after his health reportedly deteriorated, and that despite medical advice recommending his admission, ICPC officials insisted on returning him to custody. It further alleged that protests by his wife and physician led to a confrontation in which his wife was assaulted and the doctor arrested.
“The actions of the ICPC and the Tinubu government have for months now gone beyond the realm of law enforcement. They have become an assault on the Constitution of 200 million Nigerians, on human dignity, and on the most basic principles of justice and human rights,” the party said, describing El-Rufai as a “political prisoner” and accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of using state institutions to target opponents.
“The world should know today that President Bola Tinubu is holding a political prisoner in Nigeria by the name of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai,” the statement read, arguing that denying a detainee access to medical care and family contradicts democratic principles and existing court orders.
“No democratic government that claims to respect the rule of law should deny a detainee access to medical care or prevent close family members from seeing him in flagrant disobedience of the courts,” the party said, warning that the matter extended beyond El-Rufai’s personal circumstances.
“This is no longer about Mallam El-Rufai alone. It is about whether Nigeria remains a constitutional democracy or has descended into a republic where law enforcement agencies have become instruments of political persecution,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC demanded explanations from the ICPC over the alleged denial of access to El-Rufai’s family and doctor and the reported arrest of his physician. Its demands included unrestricted access for El-Rufai to his wife, children, legal team and personal doctors; a review of his bail conditions; an end to what it called degrading detention conditions; full compliance with constitutional safeguards for persons in custody; and greater transparency from the commission.
Wife Appeals to Tinubu
Hajiya Aisha El-Rufai, on Tuesday, appealed to President Tinubu to ensure her husband receives fair treatment, saying the family had endured trauma despite the support they gave the President during the 2023 election campaign. Speaking alongside El-Rufai’s other wife, Aichatou, at their Abuja residence, she said the family was not asking the President to interfere with the trial but to ensure the former governor enjoyed the constitutional rights guaranteed to every Nigerian.
She alleged that her husband, who she said had been diagnosed with high blood pressure and high blood sugar, had been denied access to adequate medical treatment, and recalled the role the family played during Tinubu’s presidential campaign.
“Mr President, Sir, I campaigned for you. I stood up and went to every nook and cranny of Kaduna State for you. My husband stood by your side. Is this what our family deserves? The ball is in your court, Mr President. All these can stop if you say a word. We believe that you are a father, and we know you can empathise,” she said.
She maintained the family was not seeking special treatment or political interference in the legal process. “Please, I am not asking you to tell them not to prosecute him, but we are asking you to allow him the basic human rights that the constitution you swore to uphold and defend guarantees. Let them give him the bail that he can afford. If he is guilty, let the court decide. If he is innocent, let the court decide,” she said.
She alleged that El-Rufai’s continued detention and restrictions on access to doctors, relatives and lawyers had left the family traumatised. “We, the family, are traumatised. We live in constant fear that we will wake up and hear some bad news. I honestly think that what they are doing is more about psychological warfare against Malam and his family. If they humiliate, dehumanise and put us in constant fear, they feel it affects him,” she said.
She also questioned the reported decision to deny El-Rufai’s personal physician access to him. “We were told that orders from ‘above’ said Professor Bello Abubakar cannot have access to anybody for 24 hours. Who is the ‘above’?” she asked.
The family further alleged that El-Rufai had been denied regular access to his personal doctors, while visits by relatives had become increasingly restricted. They also raised concerns over a medical report purportedly issued by the National Hospital, Abuja, saying questions surrounding its authenticity and the circumstances of its issuance should be investigated through the consultant whose name appeared on it.
According to Aisha, the restrictions had also affected the former governor’s ability to prepare his defence. She reiterated the family’s appeal for El-Rufai to be granted bail on conditions he could reasonably meet pending the conclusion of his trial.
“We do not shy away from defending ourselves, but we want a fair trial. We want an opportunity to be heard. Malam cannot adequately prepare for his defence while he remains in custody and has limited access to his lawyers,” she said.
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