ICPC allegedly denies ADC leaders access to El-Rufai in custody
ADC Leaders Denied Access to Nasir El-Rufai in ICPC Custody
Leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) reportedly encountered obstacles while attempting to visit former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who is currently detained by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The ADC delegation, which included National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, and Salihu Lukman, Secretary of the ADC Manifesto and Policy Committee, sought to meet with El-Rufai at the ICPC facility. However, they were denied access. As of Friday afternoon, details surrounding the incident remained unclear.
The visit follows recent claims by the ICPC, which dismissed allegations that El-Rufai was being deprived of food, family visits, and medical care while in custody. ICPC spokesperson Okor Odey characterized the accusations as “false and misleading,” and clarified that visiting hours at the ICPC are from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. He noted that El-Rufai’s wife arrived outside these designated hours.
Odey emphasized that authorized visitors, including family members, attorneys, and medical personnel, are permitted access under supervision. Nevertheless, El-Rufai’s family contended that the former governor was denied access to his personal doctors, despite a recent ruling from the Kaduna High Court that granted him unrestricted access to legal counsel and medical care.
The family also indicated that the ICPC’s in-house doctor had recommended further medical examinations before access to El-Rufai’s personal physicians was allegedly obstructed. “When you see a doctor and run tests, you are expected to follow up for an explanation of the results,” a family member stated. El-Rufai’s second wife, Hasiat, corroborated the family’s claims, asserting that he was denied access to the doctor.
