By: Abdulqadir Muhammad Alhaji
Tension surrounding the detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, deepened on Friday after his family accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of denying him access to medical care and family support despite an alleged court order permitting such privileges.
The allegations were made public in a strongly-worded statement issued by Hon. Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, who described the actions of the anti-graft agency as “an assault on the rule of law” and a violation of his father’s constitutional rights.
According to the statement, El-Rufai’s personal doctor visited the ICPC facility around 3pm on May 15 to discuss the outcome of medical tests recently conducted on the former governor. However, officials of the commission allegedly blocked the doctor from seeing him, insisting that written approval from the ICPC Chairman was required before any access could be granted.
The family maintained that the restriction contradicts an existing court order which reportedly granted the former governor unrestricted access to his doctors while in detention.
Hours later, another confrontation reportedly unfolded when El-Rufai’s wife, Aishatu Nasir El-rufai, arrived at the facility around 7pm with his evening meal but was allegedly denied access by officials who claimed food deliveries were no longer permitted after 6:30pm.
The development sparked outrage among supporters of the former governor after Hausa media platform DCL Hausa aired an interview with his wife, where she claimed she remained outside the facility from about 7pm until after 9pm without being allowed to see her husband.
She further alleged that the directive preventing access came directly from the Chairman of the ICPC.
The family accused the commission of using administrative procedures as a tool for intimidation, insisting that no lawful detention should deny a detainee access to healthcare, legal protections, and basic family care.
The latest allegations have intensified public debate over the treatment of the former governor since his detention, with political observers warning that the situation could further escalate tensions between El-Rufai’s supporters and federal authorities if not addressed transparently.
As of the time of filing this report, the ICPC had not released any official statement responding to the allegations raised by the El-Rufai family.
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