BREAKING: ICPC Charges El-Rufai’s Doctor with Forgery Over Fake Medical Report for Bail

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed a four-count charge against a consultant oncologist at the National Hospital, Abuja, Professor Bello Abubakar, over an allegedly false medical report used to support a bail application filed by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Naija News reports that the charges, filed on Friday, accused Abubakar of knowingly preparing the report to mislead a public officer and strengthen El-Rufai’s request for bail on health grounds.

The bail application arose from a separate case marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/02/2026, which is pending before the Kaduna State High Court.

According to the charge sheet, Abubakar prepared a document titled, “Medical Report and Expert Opinion for Urgent Medical Intervention,” dated June 10, 2026.

The commission alleged that the consultant knew the contents of the report were false when he presented it before a Commissioner for Oaths in Kaduna State and caused it to be filed in court.

In the first count, the ICPC accused Abubakar of supplying false information with the intention of misleading a public officer, contrary to Section 17(1)(c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

The second count alleged that he used his position as a medical consultant to confer an unfair advantage on himself by issuing the disputed report, contrary to Section 19 of the Act.

In the third count, the prosecution alleged that Abubakar acted with Aliyu Bala to fabricate information that would enable Bala to depose to a further affidavit in support of El-Rufai’s bail application.

The alleged offence was said to be contrary to Section 79 of the Penal Code.

The fourth count accused the consultant of dishonestly producing a false document and presenting it as though it had been authorised by the National Hospital.

The ICPC alleged that Abubakar knew the hospital had not approved the document, an offence punishable under Sections 362 and 364 of the Penal Code.

The allegations have yet to be proved in court.
Hospital Denies Approving Report

Court documents indicated that the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Prof. Raji Mahmud, is expected to testify that the report was issued without the medical examination required by the hospital.

Mahmud is also expected to tell the court that the document was handed to El-Rufai’s family for use in the bail application.

According to the prosecution, the hospital informed ICPC investigators that it did not authorise the report attributed to Abubakar.

The CMD is expected to testify that the document was subsequently used by Bala to swear to an affidavit supporting El-Rufai’s bail request.

He is also expected to state that the report did not follow the hospital’s established procedures.

In correspondence sent to the ICPC, Mahmud confirmed that Abubakar remained attached to the hospital as a Chief Consultant Radiation Oncologist on a contract appointment after retiring from full-time service.

The letter stated that the disputed medical report did not contain a hospital identification number.

Hospital officials reportedly searched the Electronic Medical Records using different versions of El-Rufai’s name and reviewed records of patients who attended the oncology clinic during the first two weeks of June 2026.

According to the court documents, no matching record was found. The hospital consequently concluded that El-Rufai was not registered as a patient at the time the report was allegedly issued.

Mahmud said the absence of a hospital number and personal telephone number made it impossible to verify any appointment, payment receipt or departmental record linked to the former governor.

He further stated that the hospital management was unaware of the report until the ICPC presented it during its investigation.

Although the document was written on National Hospital letterhead, the CMD said it was produced without the knowledge or approval of the management.
Consultant Gives Different Account

In his statement to investigators, Abubakar maintained that El-Rufai had been registered as a National Hospital patient since 2005.

He said he had worked at the hospital since 1999 and had consulted with the former governor on several occasions.

According to Abubakar, some of the consultations were not recorded because he did not consider the discussions to require formal documentation.

He said he documented no more than four consultations with El-Rufai between 2017 and 2025.

The consultant added that he attended to the former governor three times between 2025 and 2026 while El-Rufai was in ICPC custody, twice at the commission’s facility and once at the National Hospital.

Mahmud, however, gave a different account, saying that, to the best of his knowledge, El-Rufai was only registered as a patient on July 7, 2026.

The CMD also said he was previously unaware that the former governor had been treated at the hospital. The commission listed its investigator, Olugbemi Osanoto, and Mahmud as its principal witnesses.

A representative of the Kaduna State High Court and other witnesses who may be summoned are also expected to testify.

The exhibits listed by the prosecution include statements obtained from Abubakar on July 9 and July 14, 2026, as well as a statement from the CMD dated July 10.

Other proposed exhibits include hospital correspondence dated June 18 and July 10, 2026, and a wallet deposit record dated July 7, 2026.

The ICPC said it could present additional evidence in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.