A media aide to former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of failing to provide medical attention to the former governor despite complaints of a worsening eye condition while in custody.
In a statement issued on Friday according to TheCable, Muyiwa Adekeye alleged that El-Rufai developed swollen, reddish and itchy eyes during his detention and requested access to a doctor, but the anti-graft agency failed to act on the request.
According to Adekeye, family members who visited the former governor observed his condition and also appealed to ICPC officials to facilitate medical treatment.
He said two officials of the commission examined El-Rufai’s eyes but no further medical intervention was provided.
“Two ICPC officials checked and saw the condition of his eyes. This was expected to prompt either a hospital visit or for a doctor to be summoned to attend to him. However, no medical attention was arranged,” Adekeye stated.
The aide further alleged that an ICPC official identified as Henry informed a member of El-Rufai’s family that the former governor did not wish to see a doctor, a claim he described as false and insensitive.
According to him, El-Rufai had earlier been taken to an eye clinic on June 4, but his condition reportedly deteriorated overnight.
“The wives who visited him today found him in great discomfort and were alarmed by the condition of his eyes,” Adekeye said.
He also disclosed that El-Rufai’s legal team had previously secured a court order granting him access to his doctors and medical treatment due to recurring eye-related health concerns while in detention.
Adekeye accused the commission of disregarding both the court order and its duty of care to a person in custody.
“The ICPC persists in treating him as if he is without rights and is undeserving of a duty of care while in their custody,” he said.
He urged the anti-corruption agency to comply with the court directive and ensure that El-Rufai receives appropriate medical attention.
“No agency of government is allowed to be indifferent to the medical condition of a person in its custody. The ICPC must respect the human rights of persons in its custody, obey court orders and allow them access to the medical treatment that they require,” he added.
