El-Rufai’s doctor admits writing medical report hospital disowned

Bello Abubakar, the oncologist charged over a disputed medical report allegedly used to secure bail for former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has admitted writing the document but denied involvement in any forgery conspiracy.

Abubakar, a Chief Consultant Clinical and Radiation Oncologist at the National Hospital, Abuja, also denied knowing Mohammed Bala Aliyu, the man accused of using the report to depose an affidavit supporting El-Rufai’s bail application.

He made the claims in a voluntary statement submitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission in the presence of his lawyer, Rabiu Suleiman of Mahmud SAN and Co.

“I cannot recall anybody with the name Mohammed Bala Aliyu, and I have never authorised him to depose an affidavit,” the doctor said.

The ICPC had filed four charges against Abubakar, accusing him of knowingly issuing a false medical report to mislead a public officer and support El-Rufai’s bail application before the Kaduna State High Court.

The disputed document, dated 10 June 2026, was titled “Medical Report and Expert Opinion for Urgent Medical Intervention.”

According to the charge sheet, Abubakar allegedly knew the report contained false information but presented it to a Commissioner for Oaths before it was filed in court.

He was also accused of conspiring with Aliyu to fabricate the report and enable the latter to depose a further affidavit in support of El-Rufai’s bail application.

Abubakar, however, insisted that he had never met or communicated with the alleged affidavit deponent.

He explained that he first met El-Rufai through the former governor’s wife, whose first child he delivered, before El-Rufai later became his patient.

The doctor said El-Rufai was registered as a patient at the National Hospital around 2005, although he was not registered at Abubakar’s private facility, Belam Cancer Centre in Abuja.

He claimed to have attended to El-Rufai no more than four times between 2017 and 2025, adding that the consultations were not documented because they did not require formal records.

Abubakar said he subsequently consulted El-Rufai three times between June and July 2026 while the former governor was in ICPC custody.

According to him, two consultations took place at the ICPC facility in the presence of the commission’s medical personnel, while the third was conducted at the National Hospital.

He added that his visit to the ICPC facility was documented at the reception.

Abubakar said he attended a consultation on 9 July alongside his senior registrar, while the hospital’s Chief Medical Director and Director of Clinical Services later joined them.

He also addressed photographs showing him handing a report to El-Rufai’s wives in the presence of ICPC operatives.

According to him, the pictures were taken in a waiting area and not inside the consultation room.

Explaining the hospital’s procedure, Abubakar said a patient’s request for a medical report is forwarded to the relevant consultant, who has the discretion to prepare the document.

He said completed reports are taken to the office of the Director of Clinical Services for stamping before being released to the patient.

The doctor maintained that determining whether such reports had been officially registered was not his responsibility.

He also refused to disclose El-Rufai’s diagnosis, arguing that doing so without the former governor’s permission would breach medical ethics.

Court documents, however, indicate that the National Hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Raji Mahmud, is expected to testify that Abubakar issued the report without conducting the required medical examination.

Mahmud is also expected to tell the court that the hospital did not authorise the disputed report and that an internal investigation found that the document did not follow the required procedure.

The ICPC has separately petitioned the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, seeking professional sanctions against Abubakar over the allegations.

The commission asked the council’s investigation panel to conduct a thorough inquiry into the doctor’s conduct. The petition was acknowledged on 8 July.

El-Rufai is facing several corruption-related prosecutions, including an alleged N8.68 billion CCTV surveillance contract fraud case and another case involving alleged abuse of office and procurement violations.

The former governor has pleaded not guilty and accused the federal and Kaduna State governments of using the prosecutions to keep him in detention.