Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, has seen his third request for bail denied by the Kaduna State High Court. Justice D. H. Khobo issued the ruling on June 29, 2026, rejecting the application in the criminal case pursued by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The defense had presented a medical report, identified as Exhibit A, which claimed the former governor suffered from advanced metastatic prostate cancer and needed care unavailable within Nigeria. However, the National Hospital in Abuja formally notified the court that they had no record of treating El-Rufai and did not issue the document. The hospital management confirmed the report was produced without their authorization.
Justice Khobo concluded that the credibility of the medical evidence was fundamentally flawed, stating the court could not grant bail based on a document disavowed by the institution that allegedly produced it. Consequently, there were no verified facts to support the medical grounds for the request.
Despite the ruling, the judge ordered the ICPC to ensure the former governor maintains regular access to his own medical professionals. The commission is tasked with escorting him to any diagnostic or medical facilities within the country as needed throughout the duration of the trial. The ICPC expressed satisfaction with the outcome, noting that the judgment underscores the necessity for medical bail applications to rely on transparent and authenticated evidence.
