Nigeria arrests governor's doctor over alleged meeting

Nigeria's anti-corruption commission has arrested the personal physician of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir ElRufai, alleging that a court-approved medical visit was exploited for a political meeting, a claim the former governor's camp has forcefully denied. The arrest of Professor Bello Abubakar on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, marks a significant escalation in the legal and procedural tensions surrounding ElRufai's ongoing corruption trial.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission stated it facilitated ElRufai's visit to the private wing of the National Hospital in Abuja that day under appropriate security arrangements. The commission said its personnel remained outside the consultation room while an oncologist examined the former governor, who is in ICPC custody facing a nine-count charge. However, officials allege that around 2 p.m., Kaduna State African Democratic Congress governorship candidate Isa Ashiru Kudan posted photographs on Facebook stating he had just concluded a meeting with ElRufai. The images showed Kudan, Professor Abubakar, and three other individuals with the former governor at the hospital. The ICPC described this as a clear...