El-Rufai threatens ICPC with contempt suit

Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has threatened legal action against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission if it further restricts his access to medical care, while demanding the immediate release of his personal physician, Professor Bello Abubakar.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by his media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai’s legal team said it would file contempt proceedings against the commission if it breached an existing court order guaranteeing him medical access while in custody.

The statement cited an April 1, 2026, order by Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Kaduna, which it said entitled El-Rufai to receive medical care from a physician of his choice.

His lawyers argued that access to healthcare for detainees is protected under the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.

The statement also criticised the arrest of Professor Bello Abubakar after he attended to El-Rufai at the National Hospital, Abuja.

It challenged the ICPC to disclose the alleged false statements that formed the basis of the doctor’s arrest, including when and to whom they were made.

“In the absence of such particulars, the arrest of a treating physician immediately following his attendance on a patient in ICPC custody raises serious questions,” the statement said.

El-Rufai’s camp called for the doctor’s immediate and unconditional release, arguing that medical professionals should not face intimidation for carrying out their duties.

The statement further insisted that no court order had been violated and accused the ICPC of misrepresenting the circumstances surrounding the hospital visit and the former governor’s absence from court.