The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it declined the request of African Democratic Congress (ADC) leaders to see Nasir el-Rufai on the basis of an existing court order.
The party had accused the anti-graft agency of intimidating
its leaders with heavy deployment of policemen, after being denied access to
the former Kaduna governor at the detention facility in Abuja on Friday.
El-Rufai has been in the custody of the ICPC since February
19 over alleged financial impropriety during his tenure as governor of Kaduna
State between 2015 and 2023.
On March 28, he was, however, granted temporary leave to
attend his mother’s funeral.
In 2024, the Kaduna state house of assembly indicted
el-Rufai over the alleged diversion of N423 billion in public funds and money
laundering, and called for his investigation by anti-graft agencies.
On April 13, 2026, the ICPC arraigned el-Rufai at the Kaduna
High Court on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse
of office.
On May 16, Mohammed Bello, son of Nasir el-Rufai, alleged
that ICPC operatives denied his father access to medical and family care at its
detention facility.
He said the move by ICPC operatives “directly flouts a clear
court order granting el-Rufai unrestricted access to his doctors”.
However, Okor Odey, ICPC spokesperson, described the claim
as “false and misleading”.
In a statement on Friday, Bolaji Abdullahi, national
publicity secretary of the ADC, said a delegation of the party led by Rauf
Aregbesola, national secretary, and Salihu Lukman, secretary of the policy and
manifesto committee, was also prevented from seeing el-Rufai.
“Despite prior communication and formal requests, we were
denied access without any reasonable explanation,” the statement reads.
“While we were at the premises awaiting a response to our
request, the atmosphere suddenly became noticeably tense after no fewer than
three truckloads of armed police officers arrived at the facility.”
Speaking with TheCable, Odey said the agency declined the
party’s request and communicated the rejection in an official letter dated May
21, 2026, which was acknowledged the following day.
“We wrote them an official letter declining their request to
visit. The reasons are in the letter. The category of persons we are to give
access is clear in the court order,” Odey said.
In the letter signed by S. Yahaya, director of operations,
the ICPC said el-Rufai “is standing trial before the State High Court of
Justice, Kaduna, and Federal High Court of Nigeria, both sitting in Kaduna”.
“Though the defendant is in the Commission’s custody by
order of both courts, the court is fully seised of the matter,” the letter
reads.
“The court has granted access to the defendant to his
family, doctors and counsel.
“These are the only category of persons granted access to
see the defendant in the Commission’s custody. Consequently, the application
cannot be granted.
“Please accept the assurances of the Hon. Chairman’s best
regards.”
Odey further dismissed the ADC’s claim of intimidation,
noting that police presence at the ICPC gate is part of routine security
procedure.
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