The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has arrested Professor Bello Abubakar, the personal physician to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, over allegations that he misled the commission regarding the former governor’s medical visit.
According to the ICPC, Professor Abubakar informed the commission that El-Rufai was receiving medical attention at the National Hospital Abuja. However, the anti-corruption agency alleged that the former governor was instead attending a meeting with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate for Kaduna State, Isa Ashiru Kudan.
The commission said its preliminary findings indicated that the medical visit, which had been approved within the context of ongoing legal proceedings, was allegedly used for activities outside the scope contemplated by both the court and the ICPC.
According to the commission, the circumstances surrounding the visit are under investigation to determine whether there was a deliberate attempt to misrepresent the purpose of the outing and circumvent the conditions under which it was permitted.
The ICPC has yet to provide further details on the arrest or indicate whether additional charges will be filed as investigations continue.
Neither Professor Abubakar nor representatives of El-Rufai had publicly responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report.
