The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has clarified claims regarding the alleged denial of access to deliver food to embattled former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai.
Addressing journalists on Monday during a press briefing by J. Okor Odey, the Deputy Director and Head of Media and Public Communications for the ICPC, the commission described the widely circulated video interview broadcast on Friday, May 15, 2026 as misleading.
In the video, a woman identifying herself as el-Rufai’s wife alleged that commission operatives blocked her from entering the premises at 7:00 pm to give her husband food, thereby violating a court order regarding family access.
Addressing the allegations, the ICPC explained that its standing institutional access control protocol permits visitor entry strictly between 9:00 am and 6:30 pm.
“This policy has been in place long before the current Chairman took office, applies to all individuals in custody, and all families including the El-Rufai family were duly informed about it,” the Commission’s spokesperson explained.
He further expalained that on the very Friday in question, one of the defendant’s wives and a housemaid were allowed to bring food to him on at least three separate occasions between 10:30 am and 5:30 pm.
“These visits are properly documented in the official visitor register under entries 11, 12, 41, 43, 49, and 50, which remain available for independent verification,” the statement resd in part.
The ICPC further pointed out that the woman in the video openly admitted to arriving at 7:00 pm 30 minutes after the official close of the access window and also acknowledged that she had successfully delivered both breakfast and lunch earlier that day, effectively contradicting her own claim that her husband was being starved.
The ICPC emphasized that because Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai is a high-profile, politically exposed person who has served as a Director-General, Federal Minister, and State Governor, the agency is obligated to maintain heightened security measures for his safety and the protection of others in custody.
Regarding separate allegations that medical personnel were denied access, the commission clarified that it only requested standard identification and confirmation from the defendant before allowing supervised access.
The anti-graft agency revealed that in the week preceding the incident, el-Rufai requested and was granted permission to visit both his dentist and eye doctor on two separate occasions, accompanied by commission officials. This is in addition to the continuous access he enjoys to the commission’s in-house medical facilities.
The ICPC expressed concern that the late-night visit was conducted alongside media personnel outside the approved hours, stating firmly that it will not be drawn into dramatized narratives meant to bypass lawful procedures.
Reaffirming the leadership’s commitment under Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, the commission stated that its security protocols are not arbitrary but exist to protect the rights, safety, and dignity of all persons in its custody under the equal application of the law.