The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed a four-count charge against Professor Bello Abubakar, an oncology consultant at the National Hospital, Abuja, over allegations that he forged a medical report to support former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s bail application.
According to the charge sheet, the medical report, titled “Medical Report and Expert Opinion for Urgent Medical Intervention,” dated June 10, 2026, was allegedly authored by Prof. Abubakar despite knowing its contents were false.
The first count accuses him of giving false information with intent to mislead a public officer, contrary to Section 17(1)(c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. A second count alleges he used his position as a medical consultant to confer an unfair advantage by knowingly issuing the false report, an offence under Section 19 of the same Act.
The third count accuses the professor of forming a common intention with Aliyu Bala to fabricate false information to support the bail application, contrary to Section 79 of the Penal Code.
The fourth count alleges he dishonestly made a false document, presenting the report as though it carried the authority of the National Hospital when he knew it was not authorised by the hospital, an offence under Sections 362 and 364 of the Penal Code.
The National Hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Raji Mahmud, is expected to testify that the medical report was allegedly issued without conducting the required medical examination and without the hospital’s authorisation.
A hospital search of its Electronic Medical Records found no matching record for Mr El-Rufai, leading to the conclusion that he was not a registered patient at the facility. The CMD further stated that hospital management was unaware of the report until it was presented by the ICPC.
In his own statement, Prof. Abubakar claimed Mr El-Rufai had been registered as a patient at the National Hospital since 2005, and that he documented no more than four consultations with him between 2017 and 2025.
However, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director contradicted this timeline, stating that as far as he was aware, Mr El-Rufai was only registered as a patient on July 7, 2026.
The charges come after the Kaduna High Court rejected Mr El-Rufai’s third bail application on June 29, 2026, ruling that the medical report could not support his request because it had been disowned by the National Hospital.
The former governor is facing multiple corruption-related prosecutions instituted by the ICPC.
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