 has stepped forward to deny reports that former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, suffered a nosebleed while being held in their custody.){kind=link}
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has stepped forward to deny reports that former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, suffered a nosebleed while being held in their custody.
This response comes after El-Rufai’s spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, went public with claims that the former governor had experienced a health crisis during his time in detention.
Okor Odey, speaking for the ICPC, was quick to label these reports as fiction. He addressed the situation directly, stating, “The allegation that he bled from his nose yesterday while in the custody of the ICPC is not true.”
El-Rufai has been with the ICPC since February 18, following a two-night stay with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after he was first taken in.
The dispute over his health is only one part of a growing list of concerns raised by his team.
Adekeye has questioned the very legality of the detention, pointing out that his lawyers have yet to see any court order that justifies holding the former governor for over 48 hours without being formally charged.
There are also claims of restricted access. According to Adekeye, both family members and legal counsel are finding it increasingly difficult to see him.
In one specific instance, he noted that one of El-Rufai’s wives was stopped from giving him his meal directly, with officials insisting she hand the food to them instead.
It was during these interactions that his lawyers claimed to have learned of the overnight nosebleed, a detail the ICPC continues to firmly reject.
As these tensions play out, both the ICPC and the EFCC remain focused on their broader investigation into allegations of financial misconduct during El-Rufai’s eight-year tenure as Governor of Kaduna State.