Muyiwa Adekeye, media aide to former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has alleged that his principal suffered a nosebleed while in detention and is facing restricted access to family members and legal representatives.
In a statement released on Monday night, Adekeye said El-Rufai experienced an episode of bleeding from the nose overnight while in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
He also claimed that one of the former governor’s wives was barred from handing over a meal to him directly on February 17, and was instead instructed to pass it through an official of the commission.
El-Rufai had presented himself at the EFCC headquarters on February 16 after receiving an invitation from the agency.
Two days later, on February 18, he was taken into custody by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission following his release by the EFCC.
Both anti-graft agencies are probing the former governor over alleged financial misconduct during his administration of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023.
In 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly indicted him over the alleged misappropriation of N423bn and money laundering, and urged relevant agencies to investigate the claims.
Adekeye further stated that members of El-Rufai’s legal team had not been presented with any remand order authorising his detention beyond 48 hours without formal charges.
He added that efforts by family members and lawyers to secure access to the former governor had been hampered.
“One of his wives was not allowed to deliver his meal directly to him on the evening of 17th February, but was asked to pass it through one of the commission’s personnel.
His lawyers have reported that he suffered an overnight episode of bleeding from the nose,” the statement read.
El-Rufai has filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Federal Government, the ICPC, the EFCC and the Department of State Services at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, with the matter slated for hearing on Wednesday.
The former governor, who is a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, is also expected to be arraigned this week over allegations that he intercepted a telephone conversation involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
On Monday, he instituted another legal action against the ICPC, challenging what he described as an unlawful raid on his Abuja residence.