Leaders of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, were reportedly denied access to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who is currently being held by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.
The ADC delegation was said to include the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, and Secretary of the ADC Manifesto and Policy Committee, Salihu Lukman.
According to reports, the party officials visited the ICPC facility in an effort to see El Rufai but were allegedly denied access. Details surrounding the incident remained unclear as of Friday afternoon.
The development comes days after the ICPC dismissed claims that El Rufai was being denied access to food, family members and medical care while in detention.
Speaking earlier at a press conference, ICPC spokesperson, Okor Odey, described the allegations as “false and misleading.”
Odey stated that visitors are permitted into ICPC detention facilities between 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., adding that El Rufai’s wife reportedly arrived outside the approved visiting hours.
He further maintained that authorised visitors, including family members, lawyers and medical personnel, are allowed access under supervision.
However, the El Rufai family alleged that the former governor was denied access to his personal doctors despite an earlier Kaduna High Court order granting him unrestricted access to legal representatives and physicians.
The family also claimed that the ICPC’s in house doctor had recommended additional medical examinations before access was allegedly blocked.
“When you see a doctor and you run tests, you are expected to see the doctor back so that he explains what the problem is,” a family member said.
“He was denied access to the doctor,” El Rufai’s second wife, Hasiat, alleged.
