May 18, (THEWILL) — The detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, took a dramatic turn on Monday as members of his family accused officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) of intimidation, disregard for court orders, and psychological harassment following an attempt to move him from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The allegations emerged after proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Justice Joyce AbdulMalik granted bail to the former governor and adjourned the matter for continuation on Tuesday.
Addressing journalists outside the DSS facility in Abuja, el-Rufai’s second wife, Hasiat el-Rufai, alleged that security agencies had subjected the family to constant threats, surveillance, and intimidation since the former governor’s detention began.
“We now live in constant fear. Every day we get a threat — DSS is coming to raid your house, ICPC is coming to raid your house, police are coming to raid your house. You are being followed. Our phones are tapped,” she alleged.
Hasiat explained that during a break in court proceedings earlier in the day, security operatives allegedly attempted to move el-Rufai to the DSS facility despite existing court orders directing that he remain in ICPC custody.
According to her, the former governor resisted the move and questioned why he was being transferred to another agency contrary to the subsisting orders.
“He said to them, ‘I am not going to step down because there are two court orders that the Kaduna court gave that I should be remanded in ICPC. Why are you bringing me here? I am not a piece of furniture to be moved,’” she recounted.
She added that el-Rufai was subsequently returned to the ICPC before the matter resumed in court later in the afternoon.
However, she alleged that after the proceedings ended and the prosecution secured an adjournment until Tuesday, the former governor was again transported to the DSS facility instead of being returned to ICPC custody.
According to her, El-Rufai refused to leave the vehicle conveying him into the DSS premises.
“He told them that if you want to take me inside DSS custody, you will have to physically force me into doing this because you had an agreement.
“When Justice AbdulMalik said I should go to DSS in the first instance, we told her that there are subsisting orders. And she said let DSS and ICPC go and decide who will keep him — and you people decided they are keeping him with ICPC. What has changed?” she queried.
The former governor’s wife also accused authorities of denying el-Rufai access to his personal doctors despite what she described as a subsisting Kaduna State High Court order granting him unrestricted access to his lawyers and physicians.
She disclosed that an ICPC in-house doctor had earlier recommended medical tests for the former governor and arrangements were made for his doctors to review the results with him. According to her, the arrangement was later blocked.
“When you see a doctor and you run tests, you are expected to see the doctor back so that he explains what the problem is.
“He was denied access to the doctor because, in their own explanation, they said Malam was not aware that the doctor was coming. I asked Malam — Malam said nobody told him,” she stated.
The family demanded the immediate return of el-Rufai to ICPC custody in compliance with existing court orders, restoration of access to his personal physicians, and an end to what they described as psychological torment.
Also speaking, el-Rufai’s son and member of the House of Representatives, Bello el-Rufai, described the former governor’s prolonged detention as politically motivated.
He questioned the stringent bail conditions imposed by the court, arguing that they were practically impossible to satisfy.
“Who keeps a person for 91 days? Why were the terms of the bail so stringent that it was practically impossible for anybody to meet? Why do you have to say that the Kaduna State Council of Chiefs will have to give an attestation?
“Why are they saying that it has to be a government staff of level 17, with a house in Asokoro or Maitama? Which civil servant has N100 million?” he asked.
The lawmaker also accused the ICPC of issuing misleading statements regarding the matter and disclosed plans to submit a formal petition to the House of Representatives.
Director-General of the el-Rufai Support Group Association, Dr. Uche Dialla, argued that the movement of the former governor between agencies amounted to psychological torture.
“Torture is not just physical torture. When you take a man psychologically — he is in the custody of ICPC, and then he goes to court, and when there is a break you take him to another environment — that is psychological torture,” he said.
Senator Lawal Adamu, who also visited the DSS facility, called for the immediate release of the former governor, noting that he voluntarily returned from Cairo after being invited by the ICPC.
“He was outside this country. He was invited by the ICPC, and he flew all the way from Cairo back to Nigeria to submit himself. We are calling for his immediate release.
“He deserves to be granted bail based on self-recognition. What is happening is psychological harassment because of politics,” the senator stated.
However, security sources later confirmed that following consultations among lawyers involved in the case, el-Rufai was eventually returned to ICPC custody at about 5pm on Monday
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