The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has dismissed reports that it restricted access to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, calling the claims “false and misleading.
John Odey, Deputy Director and Head of Media and Public Communicationsnat the ICPC, clarified the situation on Monday while speaking with journalists in Abuja. He explained that El-Rufai’s wife arrived 30 minutes after the official visiting hours had ended.
Odey emphasized that the ICPC operates under Nigerian law and international best practices, guided by a humane Access Control Protocol** to ensure orderly visitation to its facilities. The commission enforces official visiting hours between 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., a policy applied to all visitors, including families of defendants.
According to Odey, the controversy followed a media interview aired on Friday night, where El-Rufai’s wife alleged that she was denied entry to deliver food and that court orders permitting access were violated.
The ICPC spokesperson noted that on the day in question, El-Rufai’s wife and a housemaid had delivered food three times between 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., which was duly recorded in the visitor register and can be independently verified. The media interview, conducted in Hausa, contained admissions that contradicted the claims, including acknowledgment that breakfast and lunch were already delivered.
Odey stressed that medical personnel, legal counsel, and authorized visitors were allowed access in line with standard procedure, provided proper identification and verification were presented. El-Rufai had visited his dentist and ophthalmologist earlier in the week, accompanied by ICPC officials.
Given El-Rufai’s high-profile status as a former minister, federal executive council member, and state governor, Odey explained that the commission maintained enhanced security measures to ensure his protection and that of other detainees.
He reiterated that the ICPC, led by Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, is committed to rule of law, human dignity, and equitable application of its protocols, warning against media-driven narratives that bypass lawful procedures.
