By Nkechi Eze
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has dismissed allegations circulating in the media that it denied family members and medical personnel access to former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, while in its custody, describing the claims as false, misleading, and a deliberate attempt to dramatise lawful institutional procedures.
Speaking during a media briefing at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday, Deputy Director and Head of Media and Public Communications, J. Okor Odey, said the Commission was compelled to address what he described as “misleading narratives” arising from a widely circulated Hausa-language video interview aired across several media platforms.
According to the ICPC spokesperson, the woman featured in the video, who identified herself as the wife of the detained former governor, had alleged that operatives of the Commission denied her entry into the premises at about 7:00 pm on Friday, 15 May, 2026, when she attempted to deliver food to her husband. She also claimed that the ICPC violated a court order granting family access to the defendant and prevented him from receiving food.
Odey, however, stated that the allegations were entirely inconsistent with documented records maintained by the Commission.
He explained that the ICPC’s Access Control Protocol, which permits visitor access between 9:00 am and 6:30 pm, is a longstanding institutional policy that predates the tenure of the current Chairman and applies uniformly to all individuals in custody.
According to him, families of all defendants and suspects held by the Commission, including the family of Malam el-Rufai, had previously been informed of the protocol and had complied with it without incident.
The ICPC further disclosed that on the day in question, one of the defendant’s wives alongside a housemaid was granted access on at least three separate occasions between 10:30 am and 5:30 pm to deliver food to him.
Odey stated that the visits were duly recorded in the Commission’s visitor register and remain available for independent verification.
He noted that authorised visitors, including family members, legal representatives, and medical personnel, are routinely granted supervised access to detainees within the approved visitation hours, but stressed that no entry is permitted after 6:30 pm under the Commission’s established security guidelines.
The spokesperson added that the woman in the viral video herself admitted arriving at the Commission’s headquarters at about 7:00 pm, thirty minutes after the official access window had closed.
He further pointed out that she acknowledged in the same interview that she had already delivered breakfast and lunch to her husband earlier that day, thereby contradicting claims that the defendant was denied food.
Addressing allegations that medical personnel were refused access, the Commission clarified that it merely requested proper identification and confirmation from the defendant before allowing supervised interaction with the said medical team, describing the measure as standard security procedure.
The ICPC also revealed that Malam el-Rufai had, within the preceding week, been granted permission to visit both his dentist and eye doctor on separate occasions under official escort by Commission personnel.
According to Odey, the former governor also enjoys access to the Commission’s in-house medical personnel and healthcare facilities whenever required.
The Commission stressed that given el-Rufai’s status as a high-profile and politically exposed figure who previously served as Director General of a federal agency, Minister, member of the Federal Executive Council, and Governor, enhanced security measures around his custody were both necessary and justified.
The ICPC expressed concern that the disputed visit was conducted in the company of media personnel and outside the approved access period, warning that it would not succumb to attempts aimed at circumventing lawful institutional procedures through media sensationalism.
“The ICPC remains focused on its mandate and will not compromise its security protocols under any circumstances,” Odey stated.
He maintained that the Commission’s procedures were neither arbitrary nor punitive, but were designed to protect the rights, safety, and dignity of all persons in custody.
The anti-corruption agency reaffirmed its commitment to the rule of law, equal application of institutional regulations, and the protection of human dignity under the leadership of ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN.
