By ISAAC AREGBESOLA

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has denied restricting access to former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, describing the claims as “false and misleading.”

John Odey, Deputy Director and Head of Media and Public Communications, ICPC, made the clarification on Monday while addressing newsmen in Abuja .

He maintained that El-Rufai’s wife, who made the claim, had arrived about 30 minutes after the official visiting time ended.

Odey said that there was the need to provide accurate information and correct misleading narratives circulating since Friday regarding the ICPC’s Access Control Protocol.

He explained that the ICPC, as a government agency mandated with corruption prevention and anti-corruption law enforcement, operates within Nigerian law and international best practices.

Central to its operations, he said, is a humane and orderly Access Control Protocol that governs entry to its premises and is respected by all visitors.

Odey stated categorically that the allegations were untrue, stressing that the ICPC’s access protocol permits visitor access only between 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

He said the policy had been in existence long before the current chairman assumed office and applied equally to all persons in custody.

According to him, families of all defendants and suspects, including the family in question, had been duly informed of the protocol and had complied until the incident.

He noted that the controversy followed a video interview broadcast across several media platforms at 10:00 p.m. on Friday, conducted in Hausa.

“In the interview, a woman who identified herself as the wife of a defendant in ICPC custody alleged that operatives denied her entry at 7:00 p.m. to deliver food to her husband.

“She further alleged that the commission violated a court order permitting family access and was denying her husband food while in custody.”

Odey disclosed that on the day in question, the defendant’s wife and a housemaid were permitted to bring food on no fewer than three occasions between 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

He said the visits were documented in the visitor register, which records the names of family members and the purpose of each visit, and were available for independent verification.

The spokesperson added that the woman herself admitted in the video to delivering both breakfast and lunch earlier that day, contradicting her claim that the commission denied her husband food.

He further clarified that while authorised visitors, legal counsel, and medical personnel were permitted access, entry was strictly prohibited after 6:30 p.m. for security reasons.

According to him, the woman in the video herself acknowledged that she arrived at 7:00 pm 30 minutes after the close of the official access window.

“It is also on record that she has on prior occasions exceeded her permitted visiting duration.

According to Odey, the defendant in custody is Malam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, a high-profile and politically exposed person who had served as a minister, federal executive council member, and state governor.

“Given his profile, the commission was obligated to maintain elevated security measures for his protection and that of all other persons in custody.”

On the allegation that medical personnel were denied access, Odey said the commission only requested proper identification and confirmation from the defendant before granting supervised access, in line with standard procedure.

He added that el-Rufai had, in the week preceding the incident, been granted permission to visit his dentist and eye doctor on two occasions, and was accompanied by commission officials.

The ICPC also expressed concern that the visit in question was conducted in the company of media personnel and outside the approved access window.

Odey said the commission would not be drawn into dramatised narratives designed to circumvent lawful institutional procedures and would not compromise its security protocols.

He reiterated that the ICPC, under the leadership of Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, remained committed to the rule of law, protection of human dignity.

He said that the commission also had equal application of its rules to all persons, regardless of status or affiliation. (NAN)

Update news