Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has demanded that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) retract its July 7 statement accusing him of violating a court order during a hospital visit. In a statement issued Wednesday by his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai described the ICPC's claims as inaccurate in both fact and law. He maintained that his absence from court on July 6 was due to unresolved health concerns previously communicated to the commission. His personal physician, Prof. Bello Abubakar, was reportedly denied access to examine him despite prior coordination with ICPC medical personnel.
The statement said a medical consultation at National Hospital, Abuja, had been scheduled for July 7, a request made before notification of the July 6 court sitting in Kaduna. El-Rufai's health condition, it added, made travel to Kaduna impossible. The statement challenged the ICPC's assertion that he had no immediate medical complaints and only sought to see his physician at his wife's request. It argued that the prosecution presented its version from the Bar without calling witnesses or tendering evidence, prompting a defence objection. The court adjourned the matter to July 15 to hear El-Rufai's recusal application and a pending transfer petition.
El-Rufai's team cited an April 1 court order permitting medical access while in custody, stating it imposed no restrictions on who could visit during treatment. They denied any breach, insisting the ICPC facilitated the hospital transfer as required. The statement accused the commission of changing the approved hospital appointment from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. without informing the family. It noted El-Rufai remained briefly in a public area where visitors greeted him, though ICPC officials controlled security. Access to medical care, the statement said, is a legal right protected by the court order and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. It warned that restricting El-Rufai's access to medical care, family or legal counsel could lead to contempt proceedings. The statement also called for the immediate release of Prof. Abubakar, whose arrest it questioned, and demanded details of any alleged false statements attributed to him. El-Rufai urged the ICPC to retract its July 7 statement and reaffirmed his commitment to a fair trial and lawful treatment.
El-Rufai challenges the ICPC's narrative while the commission has not publicly responded to his detailed rebuttal. The court adjourned until July 15 without ruling on the allegations, leaving the dispute unresolved. His team insists medical access was lawful under an April 1 order, yet the commission's version frames the hospital visit as defiance. The timing of the appointment change and the denial of a physician's access form the core of the conflict.
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