El-Rufai suffers nosebleed in detention, wife barred from delivering meal – Adekeye
*As Aide raises concerns over circumstances surrounding his detention
By KEMI KASUMU
El-Rufai is scheduled to appear in court on February 25 in a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Federal Government, the ICPC, the EFCC and the Department of State Services, seeking an order admitting him to bail.
Former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, reportedly suffered a nosebleed while in detention, according to his media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye.
In a statement issued on Monday February 24, 2026, Adekeye raised concerns over El-Rufai’s welfare, alleging that one of his wives was prevented from delivering his meal directly to him during his detention.
Adekeye said El-Rufai has been in custody for eight days after voluntarily honouring an invitation by the (EFCC) on February 16, 2026.
According to the statement, El-Rufai was interrogated by the EFCC and granted administrative bail but remained in custody as his legal team sought a variation of the bail conditions. Adekeye described his continued detention as unjustified.
He further alleged that on the evening of February 17, one of El-Rufai’s wives was barred from handing his meal to him directly and was instructed to pass it through an EFCC official instead.
The aide also disclosed that El-Rufai experienced an overnight nosebleed while in detention, an incident his lawyers have cited in expressing concern about his health and access to family members and legal counsel.
Adekeye added that on the night of February 18, El-Rufai was transferred from the EFCC to the custody of the (ICPC) without prior notice to him or his legal team.
Since his transfer, the former governor’s lawyers have applied for bail from the ICPC but have yet to receive a response, Adekeye said. He also claimed that no remand order has been presented to justify El-Rufai’s continued detention beyond the constitutionally permitted period.
El-Rufai is scheduled to appear in court on February 25 in a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Federal Government, the ICPC, the EFCC and the Department of State Services (DSS), seeking an order admitting him to bail.
Adekeye warned that the circumstances surrounding El-Rufai’s detention raise serious concerns about his welfare and adherence to due process as legal proceedings commence.
