Ex-Governor El-Rufai’s Nose Bled In Detention; Wife Barred From Personally Delivering Food, Says Aide
Ex-Governor El-Rufai’s Nose Bled In Detention; Wife Barred From Personally Delivering Food, Says Aide
Fresh concerns have emerged over the condition of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, following allegations that he suffered a nosebleed while in custody and was denied direct access to meals brought by his family during his ongoing detention by anti-corruption authorities.
In a statement issued on Monday, his media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, alleged that the former governor has remained in detention for eight days after voluntarily honouring an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 16, 2026.
Adekeye said El-Rufai was interrogated by EFCC operatives and subsequently granted administrative bail but has continued to be held while his legal team seeks a variation of the bail conditions, a situation the aide described as unjustifiable.
According to the statement, tensions escalated on February 17 when one of El-Rufai’s wives allegedly attempted to deliver food to him but was prevented from handing it over directly. She was instead instructed to pass the meal to an EFCC official for onward delivery.
The aide further claimed that the former governor experienced an overnight nosebleed while in detention, an incident his lawyers say has heightened fears about his health, welfare and access to family members and legal counsel.
Adekeye also disclosed that on the night of February 18, El-Rufai was moved without prior notice from EFCC custody to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences commission (ICPC), a transfer his legal team said occurred without informing either the detainee or his lawyers in advance.
Since the transfer, the lawyers have reportedly applied for bail before the ICPC but have yet to receive any response.
Adekeye maintained that no valid remand order has been presented to justify El-Rufai’s continued detention beyond constitutionally permitted limits.
He added that the former governor is expected to appear before the Federal High Court on February 25 in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed against the Federal Government, the ICPC, the EFCC and the Department of State Services (DSS), seeking an order admitting him to bail.
The aide warned that the alleged treatment raises serious questions about due process and the protection of detainees’ rights as legal proceedings begin.
