ABUJA, Nigeria. The son of the former governor of Nigeria‘s Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, accused the national anti-graft agency on Friday, May 15, 2026, of denying his detained father access to medical care and a family member.
Okay News reports that Mohammed Bello accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission of blocking a personal doctor and the former governor’s wife from visiting the detention facility.
Bello stated that a physician arrived at the facility at 3:00 p.m. WAT to discuss recent medical test results but was refused entry by officials. The officials required written approval from the commission’s chairman before allowing the consultation.
“Our father, Mallam Nasir, is still being held by the ICPC. Today, 15 May 2026, we witnessed two distinct yet equally serious attacks on his basic rights. First, his personal Doctor visited the ICPC at about 3pm to discuss the results of medical tests recently conducted on our father. Officials at the agency blocked the doctor from seeing him, claiming that written permission from the ICPC Chairman was required. This directly flouts a clear court order granting Mallam Nasir El-Rufai unrestricted access to his doctors,” Bello said.
The statement also noted that officials prevented the second wife of el-Rufai, Aichatou, from delivering an evening meal because food deliveries are not permitted after 6:30 p.m. WAT.
“This arbitrary rule is no less offensive than blocking his right to medical care,” Bello said. “No lawful detention justifies denying medical access or refusing basic family care based on an arbitrary curfew fixed by the ICPC,” he said.
El-Rufai has remained in custody since February 19, 2026, facing allegations of financial impropriety during his tenure as governor between 2015 and 2023.
