The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has denied allegations that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, was denied access to food, family members, and medical care while in custody.
The anti-corruption agency responded after Mohammed Bello, a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency and son of the former governor, accused the commission of preventing el-Rufai’s wife and doctor from seeing him.
Okay News reports that el-Rufai has remained in the custody of the ICPC since February 19, 2026, over alleged financial impropriety linked to his administration between 2015 and 2023.
He was later arraigned before the Kaduna High Court on April 13, 2026, on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Okor Odey, spokesperson of the ICPC, described the allegations against the agency as false.
“The commission is pained that people would concoct falsehoods against the anti-graft agency,” Odey said.
He explained that the commission operates a regulated visitation protocol allowing access to detainees between 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
According to him, el-Rufai’s wife arrived outside the approved visiting period on the day referenced in the allegation.
“The families of all defendants and suspects in ICPC custody, including the family in question, were duly informed of this protocol and have, until this incident, been in compliance,” he said.
“On the Friday in question, one of the defendant’s wives and a housemaid were permitted to bring food to the defendant on no fewer than three occasions between 10:30am and 5:30pm.”
Odey said the commission maintains visitor records documenting access by family members, lawyers, and medical personnel.
“Authorised visitors — including family members, legal counsel, and medical personnel are permitted to visit, deliver food, and consult with persons in custody,” he said.
“However, entry is strictly not permitted after 6:30pm.”
The ICPC spokesperson also referred to a viral video in which el-Rufai’s wife claimed she was denied access, stating that she acknowledged in the same video that she had earlier delivered breakfast and lunch to the former governor.
“Furthermore, the woman herself admitted in the same video that she had delivered both breakfast and lunch to her husband earlier that day, thereby contradicting the allegation that the ICPC denied him access to food,” Odey said.
The commission also denied claims that medical personnel were prevented from seeing el-Rufai, explaining that officials only requested identification and confirmation from the detainee before granting supervised access.
“It is a standard security procedure. It bears mentioning that in the week preceding this incident, Malam el-Rufai had requested, and was granted permission to visit both his dentist and eye doctor on two separate occasions,” he said.
“The commission accompanied him on both visits. This is in addition to the regular access he enjoys to the commission’s in-house medical personnel and facilities upon request.”
Odey added that the agency would not be “drawn into dramatised narratives designed to circumvent lawful institutional procedures.”
