The ongoing legal battle involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has taken a new turn following the arrest of his personal physician, Professor Bello Abubakar, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, according to the Guardian news.
El-Rufai, currently detained by the ICPC over various corruption allegations, was granted a court order allowing him to visit the National Hospital in Abuja for medical consultation on July 7. The Kaduna State High Court explicitly stipulated that these visits should be strictly for medical purposes, with security arrangements approved by the court.
However, controversy erupted when Honourable Isa Mohammed Ashiru Kudan, the 2023 PDP governorship candidate and current ADC candidate for Kaduna State, posted photographs on Facebook showing himself, Professor Abubakar, and three others meeting with El-Rufai during the scheduled medical visit.
The anti-graft agency, through its spokesperson Demola Bakare, stated that the photographs suggest the hospital visit was used for activities beyond what the court authorized. The ICPC maintains that its officers acted professionally throughout the exercise, respecting El-Rufai’s privacy by remaining outside the consultation room during his examination.
Professor Abubakar was arrested for allegedly making false statements regarding the circumstances of the visit, though the commission has not disclosed the specific nature of these false statements.
El-Rufai’s party, the ADC, has accused the ICPC of arresting the doctor because he insisted on El-Rufai’s admission to the hospital. They also claim that ICPC officers assaulted both the doctor and El-Rufai’s wife, Hajia Asiya El-Rufai. The ICPC has denied these allegations, insisting its officers acted professionally.
In a significant development, Hajia Asiya El-Rufai has appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to guarantee her husband’s constitutional rights. She emphasized that she campaigned for Tinubu and that her husband stood by him. While not asking for her husband’s prosecution to be halted, she stressed that his rights should be respected, adding that she believes “one word from Tinubu can change the situation.”
The ICPC continues its investigation into the matter, with further details expected as the case unfolds. El-Rufai remains in custody as the commission pursues its corruption case against the former governor…See More
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