Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, member representing Kaduna North federal constituency, has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of denying Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna state, access to his doctor and food brought by his wife while in detention.
In a statement issued on Friday night, Bello El-Rufai alleged that the anti-graft agency blocked the former Kaduna governor’s personal doctor from seeing him despite a court order granting him unrestricted medical access.
El-Rufai is currently facing prosecution over alleged financial misappropriation and abuse of office.
Despite calls for his release, the former governor has remained in detention for months pending the determination of his bail application by the court.
According to Bello El-Rufai, the doctor visited the ICPC headquarters around 3 p.m. to discuss the outcome of recent medical tests conducted on his father.
However, he claimed officials of the commission denied the doctor access, insisting that approval must first come from the ICPC chairman.
“Officials at the agency blocked the doctor from seeing him, claiming that written permission from the ICPC chairman was required,” the statement read.
The lawmaker said the action violated an existing court order permitting unrestricted access to El-Rufai’s doctors.
Bello El-Rufai also alleged that ICPC officials turned back the wife, Aichatou El-Rufai, when she attempted to deliver her husband’s evening meal around 7 p.m.
According to him, officials said they had received instructions not to allow food deliveries after 6:30 pm.
“This arbitrary rule is no less offensive than blocking his right to medical care,” he said.
The federal lawmaker described the actions as a violation of his father’s constitutional rights and an attack on the rule of law.
“No lawful detention justifies denying medical access or refusing basic family care based on an arbitrary curfew fixed by the ICPC,” he said.
He demanded that the commission fully respect El-Rufai’s constitutional rights and accused the agency of using “intimidation dressed up as protocol”.
