Mohammed Bello, son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of denying his father access to medical attention and family care while in detention.
El-Rufai has remained in the custody of the anti-graft agency since February 19 over allegations of financial misconduct linked to his administration between 2015 and 2023.
The former governor was earlier granted temporary leave to attend the funeral of his mother.
His legal troubles followed the 2024 indictment by the Kaduna State House of Assembly, which accused him of allegedly diverting N423 billion in public funds and involvement in money laundering, while recommending investigations by anti-corruption agencies.
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On April 13, 2026, the ICPC arraigned El-Rufai before a Kaduna High Court on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Mohammed Bello alleged that officials of the commission violated a court order by preventing El-Rufai’s personal doctor from seeing him at the detention facility.
“Our father, Mallam Nasir @elrufai, is still being held by the ICPC. Today, 15 May 2026, we witnessed two distinct yet equally serious attacks on his basic rights,” he said.
According to him, the doctor arrived at the ICPC office around 3pm to discuss the outcome of medical tests recently conducted on the former governor.
“Officials at the agency blocked the doctor from seeing him, claiming that written permission from the ICPC chairman was required,” he stated.
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Mohammed Bello argued that the action “directly flouts a clear court order” which, according to him, granted El-Rufai “unrestricted access to his doctors”.
He further alleged that El-Rufai’s second wife, Aichatou, was also denied access after attempting to deliver his evening meal.
“ICPC personnel turned her away, saying they had orders not to permit food deliveries after 6:30pm,” he said.
“This arbitrary rule is no less offensive than blocking his right to medical care.”
The lawmaker described the situation as a violation of his father’s constitutional rights and an attack on the rule of law.
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“No lawful detention justifies denying medical access or refusing basic family care based on an arbitrary curfew fixed by the ICPC. Shame on them as an institution,” he added.
He said the family was demanding full respect for El-Rufai’s constitutional rights, insisting that “we will no longer accept this pattern of intimidation dressed up as protocol”.
As of press time, neither the ICPC nor MrEl-Rufai has issued an official detailed response to the specific allegations.
