The family of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of overreach and violation of court orders in its handling of his ongoing detention, alleging repeated obstruction of his access to medical care, family contact, and basic necessities.
In a strongly worded statement issued on May 19, 2026, and signed on behalf of the family by Hon. Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, Member representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency, the family said it would not accept what it described as the misuse of administrative “protocols” to undermine constitutional rights and judicial orders.
The statement also criticised what it called the growing tendency of government agencies to operate beyond scrutiny, insisting that law enforcement institutions must remain accountable to the Constitution.
“The ICPC statement was unable to deny that it prevented Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s doctor seeing him on Friday, 15 May 2026. Neither was it able to state that it did not prevent delivery of dinner by his wife later that same evening,” the statement read.
It further argued that agencies of the Executive arm of government are not above criticism, particularly when they allegedly act outside legal bounds.
“The family and supporters of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai have no reason to treat government agencies as infallible masters of the universe. The actions of agencies of the Executive Branch are not beyond scrutiny and criticism, the more so when the heads of those agencies have succumbed to undue influence and become tools of political scheming, rather than law enforcement,” it stated.
The family also alleged that despite existing court orders granting El-Rufai access to his lawyers, doctors, and relatives, the ICPC had continued to impose administrative restrictions that effectively nullified those directives.
“The ICPC is aware of court orders granting Mallam access to his family, lawyers and doctors. Yet, this same agency is employing what it calls ‘protocols’ to vitiate these orders of court and render them to be practically of no effect,” the statement added.
It further accused the agency of subjecting the former governor to what it described as undue hardship under the guise of procedural enforcement.
“It is obvious to every observer that the ICPC seeks to inflict on Mallam Nasir El-Rufai every act of torture it can conjure as part of the coordinated effort to break him,” it said.
The statement also referenced an incident involving delayed delivery of dinner, which the family described as an unnecessary restriction that lacked justification.
“In what way did preventing the delivery of his dinner amount to securing him, more so considering the rather puerile reason given by the ICPC, that the dinner arrived 30 minutes late,” it stated.
According to the family, the delay in dinner delivery was linked to earlier restrictions placed on access to his medical doctor, which they claimed created unavoidable logistical difficulties.
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has reportedly been in custody for over 90 days and is facing multiple charges before courts in Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which the family insists are bailable offences.
“Our immediate focus is on securing Mallam’s freedom. While Mallam remains in custody, we urge the ICPC to respect his rights, obey court orders and stop deploying ‘protocols’ as instruments for magnifying the inconveniences of detention,” the statement concluded.
