The High Court of Kaduna State has dismissed a fresh application for bail filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, in the ongoing criminal proceedings instituted against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
According to an official statement signed by the ICPC Spokesperson and Head, Media and Public Communications, Mr J. Okor Odey, Honourable Justice D. H. Khobo, in a considered ruling delivered on 29 June 2026, rejected El-Rufai’s third bail application, which was predicated on medical grounds.
The statement explained that the application was supported by a medical report purportedly issued by the National Hospital, Abuja, claiming that the former governor had been diagnosed with advanced metastatic prostate cancer requiring specialised treatment allegedly unavailable anywhere in Nigeria.
However, the ICPC opposed the application by presenting documentary evidence from the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Abuja, Professor Muhammad Raji Mahmud, disowning the medical report tendered by the defence.
According to the Commission, the hospital’s management informed the court that a comprehensive search of its electronic medical records and patient database revealed no hospital number, patient file, billing record, consultation history, or any evidence that El-Rufai had ever received treatment at the facility. The hospital further stated that the medical report was issued without its knowledge or authorisation.
Relying on the evidence before it, the court held that the credibility and reliability of the medical report had been fundamentally undermined, noting that a document formally disowned by the institution on whose letterhead it was issued could not serve as the basis for granting the exceptional relief sought.
The court consequently found that there were no reliable and institutionally verified facts to justify the exercise of its discretion in granting bail on medical grounds and dismissed the application.
Justice Khobo, however, directed the ICPC to continue providing El-Rufai with unrestricted access to his personal medical physicians and to ensure that he is escorted to any specialised diagnostic or clinical facility of his choice within Nigeria whenever necessary throughout the duration of the trial.
The Commission noted that the directive aligns with its existing practice and reaffirmed its commitment to complying fully with the court’s order.
Reacting to the ruling, the ICPC described the decision as a reaffirmation of the principle that applications for bail on medical grounds must be supported by credible and verifiable evidence and determined strictly in accordance with the law.
The Commission also reiterated its commitment to conducting investigations and prosecutions professionally, fairly and in accordance with the rule of law, while ensuring that every defendant appearing before the courts enjoys all rights guaranteed under the Constitution and other applicable laws.
