El-Rufai’s Family Accuses ICPC Of Denying Him Food, Medical Access

The family of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of preventing him from receiving food and medical attention while in custody.

In a statement on Friday, his son, Mohammed El-Rufai, described the situation as a serious breach of his father’s legal and constitutional rights.

According to him, two separate incidents happened at the ICPC headquarters on Thursday, involving his father’s doctor and his wife.

He explained that El-Rufai’s personal doctor arrived at the commission’s office around 3 p.m. to review recent medical test results but was not allowed to see him.

The lawmaker said the doctor was asked to provide a written approval from the ICPC chairman, despite an existing court order that permits the former governor to have full access to his medical team.

The family also claimed that later that evening, around 7 p.m., his wife, Aichatou El-Rufai, was denied entry when she came with his dinner.

According to him, ICPC officers allegedly told her they had been instructed not to allow food deliveries after 6:30 p.m.

In a video shared online, she was seen outside the ICPC office holding a flask, saying she had been there since 7 p.m. but was refused entry.

She added that officials told her they were acting on orders not to let her into the building.

“I am here since 7 p.m. and the security at the ICPC denied me access to my husband,” she said in the video.

“Here is his food. They said they have been ordered not to allow me access to the building.”

Mohammed El-Rufai criticised the restrictions, calling them unfair and unlawful.

In another statement on Saturday morning, Mohamme accused the ICPC of violating his father’s basic rights and demanded that those rights be respected.

“Our father, Mallam Nasir @elrufai, is still being held by the ICPC. Today, 15 May 2026, we witnessed two distinct yet equally serious attacks on his basic rights,” the statement reads.

“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.”

Mohammed Bello said the move by ICPC operatives “directly flouts a clear court order granting el-Rufai “unrestricted access to his doctors”.

He said his father was also prevented from seeing Aichatou, his second wife, who brought him his evening meal.

“ICPC personnel turned her away, saying they had orders not to permit food deliveries after 6:30pm,” he said.

“This arbitrary rule is no less offensive than blocking his right to medical care.”

El-Rufai’s son described the development as an outright assault on the rule of law and a clear violation of his father’s constitutional and human rights.

“These acts are an outright assault on the rule of law and a clear violation of our father’s constitutional and human rights,” he said.

“No lawful detention justifies denying medical access or refusing basic family care based on an arbitrary curfew fixed by the ICPC. Shame on them as an institution,” he said.

He said the family demands that all el-Rufai’s constitutional rights be fully respected, adding that “we will no longer accept this pattern of intimidation dressed up as protocol”.

He also warned that the family would no longer tolerate what he described as intimidation disguised as official procedure.

“We demand that all his constitutional rights be fully respected. We will no longer accept this pattern of intimidation dressed up as protocol.”

At the time of filing this report, the ICPC and Nasir El-Rufai have not issued any detailed response to the claims.

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