Nasir Ahmad El‑Rufai bail bid rejected by Kaduna High Court over falsified medical report

On 29 June 2026 the High Court of Kaduna State, sitting under Justice D. H. Khobo, dismissed former governor Nasir Ahmad El‑Rufai’s third application for bail on medical grounds. El‑Rufai had relied on a medical report that claimed he suffered from advanced metastatic prostate cancer and required treatment unavailable in Nigeria. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) countered with evidence from Professor Muhammad Raji Mahmud, Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Abuja, who confirmed that the hospital had no record of the alleged diagnosis and that the report was issued without its authorization.

Finding the document’s credibility irreparably undermined, the court refused bail, but ordered the ICPC to continue providing El‑Rufai unrestricted access to his personal physicians and to escort him to any specialised diagnostic facility of his choice during the trial. The ICPC welcomed the ruling, emphasizing that bail applications on health grounds must be supported by verifiable evidence.