A Federal High Court judge has granted former Kaduna State Governor and ex-Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, permission to receive medical treatment while remaining in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) — in a ruling that has brought the former governor’s health condition into sharp focus as his high-profile legal battle continues to unfold.
The court’s approval of medical treatment for El-Rufai, while stopping short of granting the fresh bail application his legal team has been vigorously pursuing, represents a partial but significant concession to the humanitarian concerns raised by his defence counsel — who had argued before the court that the former governor’s health requires urgent and sustained medical attention that cannot be adequately provided within the confines of his current detention environment.
El-Rufai’s legal representatives had drawn the court’s attention to specific health conditions affecting the former governor, presenting medical documentation in support of their argument that continued detention without adequate medical care could pose a serious risk to his wellbeing — a submission that appears to have found sufficient resonance with the presiding judge to warrant the approval of supervised medical treatment.
The ICPC, which continues to oppose El-Rufai’s bail application on grounds of flight risk and the integrity of its ongoing investigation, is understood to have raised no fundamental objection to the medical treatment arrangement — though the agency remains firmly opposed to any broader relaxation of the custody conditions under which the former governor is being held.
El-Rufai, who served as Kaduna State Governor from 2015 to 2023 and was one of the most controversial and outspoken figures in former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, has been in ICPC custody in connection with corruption allegations — charges he and his supporters have consistently and vehemently rejected as politically motivated persecution.
Human rights lawyers and medical ethics advocates have welcomed the judge’s decision, noting that the right of every detainee to adequate healthcare is a fundamental and non-negotiable constitutional guarantee that must be upheld regardless of the nature or severity of the charges faced.
Supporters of El-Rufai have however described the medical treatment approval as wholly inadequate — renewing their calls for his immediate release on bail pending the determination of the substantive charges against him.
The case returns to court on the adjourned date, when the court is expected to hear fuller arguments on the outstanding bail application and other preliminary matters.
CDA News Nigeria will continue to provide comprehensive coverage of the El-Rufai case as proceedings advance.
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