The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed criminal charges against Bello Abubakar, an oncology consultant at the National Hospital, Abuja, over allegations that he issued a false medical report linked to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
Court documents filed by the anti-corruption agency showed that Abubakar is facing a four-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, abuse of office, and the provision of false information in connection with a medical report that was reportedly used to support El-Rufai’s bail application.
According to the charges, the doctor allegedly prepared a document titled, “Medical Report and Expert Opinion for Urgent Medical Intervention,” dated June 10, 2026.
The ICPC claimed the report was presented as evidence to support a request for El-Rufai’s release on health grounds in a matter before the Kaduna State High Court.
The commission alleged that the report contained false information and was intended to influence the consideration of the bail application.
In the first charge, Abubakar was accused of knowingly providing information capable of misleading a public officer.
Prosecutors argued that the report was prepared with the intention of influencing official actions relating to the former governor’s case.
The second count alleged that the medical consultant abused his position by issuing the report despite allegedly knowing that the information contained in it did not reflect the true medical status of the individual concerned.
The ICPC maintained that the action was intended to confer an advantage in the ongoing legal proceedings.
The anti-corruption agency further accused Abubakar of working together with one Aliyu Bala in producing information that was later relied upon in a further affidavit filed in support of El-Rufai’s bail application.
In the fourth charge, the commission alleged that the doctor presented the medical report in a manner suggesting it had the backing and approval of the National Hospital, Abuja, despite claims that the institution neither authorised nor endorsed the document.
As part of its case, the ICPC listed the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Abuja, Dr. Raji Mahmud, as one of its key witnesses.
The commission said Mahmud is expected to testify that the report was issued without the medical procedures required by the hospital. He is also expected to inform the court that the document was not approved by the hospital’s management before it was allegedly handed over for use in the bail application.
Documents attached to the case revealed that the National Hospital responded to inquiries from investigators and distanced itself from the report.
The hospital reportedly stated that although the document was written on its official letterhead, it lacked a hospital number and did not pass through established administrative channels.
According to the institution, a review of its Electronic Medical Records system and records from the Oncology Clinic covering the period in question did not produce any record matching El-Rufai’s details.
The hospital further stated that it was unaware of the existence of the report until it was presented by investigators. Management also maintained that it neither approved nor endorsed the document.
In correspondence submitted to investigators, the hospital confirmed that Abubakar currently serves as a Chief Consultant Radiation Oncologist on contract after retiring from full-time service.
However, the doctor reportedly gave a different account during questioning by investigators.
Abubakar maintained that El-Rufai had been receiving medical attention at the National Hospital since 2005.
He stated that he had attended to the former governor on several occasions over the years, though he acknowledged that some consultations were not formally documented.
The consultant reportedly said he recorded only a limited number of consultations between 2017 and 2025. He also claimed that he attended to El-Rufai three times between 2025 and 2026 while the former governor was in ICPC custody.
According to his statement, two of those consultations took place at the commission’s detention facility, while another occurred at the National Hospital.
The position of the hospital management, however, differs sharply from that account.
The Chief Medical Director is expected to tell the court that available records show El-Rufai was registered as a patient at the hospital only on July 7, 2026.
The hospital also maintained that it had no prior records indicating that the former governor had been receiving treatment at the facility before that date.
The ICPC has lined up additional witnesses for the trial, including its lead investigator, Olugbemi Osanoto, and a representative of the Kaduna State High Court.
The commission also intends to rely on several documents, including statements obtained from the defendant, correspondence from the National Hospital, records of its internal findings, and other materials gathered during the investigation.
