‘He Was Bleeding From the Nose’ – El-Rufai’s Health Worsens in Custody, Aide Alleges

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai suffered an overnight nosebleed while in detention, and his wife was prevented from delivering a meal directly to him, according to his media aide Muyiwa Adekeye.

In a statement Monday night, Adekeye revealed that on February 17, one of el-Rufai’s wives was not allowed to hand him food personally but was asked to pass it through commission personnel. He also reported that el-Rufai experienced “an overnight episode of bleeding from his nose” while in custody.

El-Rufai voluntarily presented himself at EFCC headquarters on February 16 over alleged N423 billion fraud during his tenure (2015-2023). He was later transferred to ICPC custody on February 18. Adekeye said the legal team has not been shown any remand order authorising detention beyond 48 hours without charge, and family members are facing “difficulties in securing access.” The FCT high court will hear el-Rufai’s fundamental rights suit against the government, ICPC, EFCC, and DSS on Wednesday.

Key Points:

The nosebleed and restricted access raise health and rights concerns.
It adds humanitarian dimension to el-Rufai’s ongoing legal battles.
El-Rufai’s family seeks access, while agencies continue investigations.
This signals potential deterioration of conditions in detention.
The timing, ahead of Wednesday’s court hearing, adds urgency.

El-Rufai suffers nosebleed in custody, wife denied direct meal access, as family decries lack of remand order and limited visitation.

Sources: TheCable, Muyiwa Adekeye/Statement