Kaduna Court Denies El-Rufai Bail Again After Hospital Disowns Medical Report

A Kaduna State High Court has again denied bail to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, after the National Hospital, Abuja, rejected a medical report presented by his legal team.

Justice Darius Khobo ruled against the fresh application, which argued that El-Rufai was suffering from advanced metastatic prostate cancer requiring urgent specialised treatment outside the scope of local healthcare facilities.

At the hearing, lawyers for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) submitted evidence from the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Abuja, Prof. Muhammad Raji Mahmud, disputing the report’s authenticity.

The anti-graft agency told the court that searches conducted through the hospital’s records system showed no indication that El-Rufai had ever been treated, admitted, or registered at the facility.

Hospital management also maintained that the document in question was issued without its authorisation or knowledge.

Delivering his ruling, Justice Khobo said a report denied by the institution allegedly responsible for issuing it could not serve as valid grounds for granting bail.

The court nevertheless instructed the ICPC to permit the former governor access to his private medical practitioners and allow him to visit any specialised healthcare facility within Nigeria whenever required.

El-Rufai is standing trial on nine counts related to alleged false conferment of benefits and dishonest handling of loan funds. He has denied all allegations.

The latest decision marks his third unsuccessful bid for bail, as the court previously held that continued detention was necessary to ensure justice and his attendance throughout the proceedings.

He is also facing another prosecution by the ICPC before the Federal High Court in Kaduna and remains in custody.

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