Fresh anxiety has surrounded the continued detention of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, following claims that he suffered a nosebleed while in custody and was barred from receiving food directly from his family.
El-Rufai, who honoured an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on February 16, 2026, has now spent eight days in detention, according to a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye.
The former governor was reportedly interrogated and later granted administrative bail. However, he has remained in custody as his lawyers seek a review of the bail conditions, which his camp described as excessive and unjustified.
Adekeye alleged that on February 17, one of El-Rufai’s wives attempted to personally deliver food to him but was prevented from doing so. She was instructed to hand over the meal to an official of the commission instead.
He further claimed that El-Rufai suffered a nosebleed overnight while in detention, raising concerns among his family and legal team about his health, welfare and access to relatives and counsel.
The statement disclosed that on the night of February 18, El-Rufai was transferred from the custody of the EFCC to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission without prior notice to him or his lawyers.
Since the transfer, his legal team has reportedly filed an application for bail before the commission but has yet to receive any response.
Adekeye maintained that no valid remand order has been produced to justify the continued detention of the former governor beyond constitutionally allowed limits.
He noted that El-Rufai is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court on February 25 in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed against the Federal Government, the ICPC, the EFCC and the Department of State Services, seeking an order admitting him to bail.
The aide warned that the circumstances of the detention raise serious concerns about due process and the protection of detainees’ rights as legal proceedings begin.
Court filings also indicate that El-Rufai is contesting the search of his Abuja residence by anti-corruption operatives, an operation his lawyers described as unlawful.
Through his counsel, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, he argued that the search warrant used by the operatives was defective and lacked a proper legal foundation, rendering the action unconstitutional.
His legal team further alleged that documents and electronic devices were confiscated without an inventory, contrary to laws regulating arrests and searches.
The former governor is asking the court to nullify the search, direct the return of all seized items and award ₦1 billion in damages.
They also stated that the episode caused “significant psychological trauma, humiliation, distress, reputational damage, and emotional harm.”
El-Rufai’s detention has drawn national attention, given his prominent role in Nigerian politics and his tenure as Kaduna State governor. The latest claims regarding his health and treatment in custody have intensified scrutiny of the conduct of security agencies handling the case.
