By Tekena Amieyeofori
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has arraigned Bello Abubakar, an oncology consultant at the National Hospital, Abuja, on a four-count charge, including issuing a fake medical report used to secure bail for former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
The ICPC alleges the consultant deliberately issued a false medical report to deceive a public officer and support Mr El-Rufai’s bail application in a separate matter, marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/02/2026, currently before the Kaduna State High Court.
In the charge sheet, Mr Abubakar is accused of preparing a misleading document titled “Medical Report and Expert Opinion for Urgent Medical Intervention,” dated 10 June 2026, and had it validated under oath before filing in court.
The first count accuses him of supplying false information to mislead a public officer, an offence under Section 17(1)(c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The second alleges he exploited his position as a medical consultant to give himself an undue advantage by issuing the false report, contrary to Section 19 of the same Act.
In the third count charge, the accused is alleged to have conspired with one Aliyu Bala to swear a further affidavit in support of the bail request. This, the ICPC says, violates Section 79 of the Penal Code.
The fourth count borders on forgery. The ICPC alleges Mr Abubakar dishonestly produced a false document and presented it as bearing the authority of the National Hospital, when he knew the hospital had not approved it. This is said to contravene Sections 362 and 364 of the Penal Code.
The National Hospital has denied authorising the report. Its Chief Medical Director, CMD, Raji Mahmud, is expected to testify in court that Mr Abubakar issued the report in Mr El-Rufai’s favour without carrying out the required medical examination to facilitate the bail application.
In correspondence to the ICPC, the CMD confirmed that Mr Abubakar is still engaged at the hospital as a Chief Consultant Radiation Oncologist on a contract basis after retiring from full-time service.
The letter noted that the report carried no matching record was found, leading the hospital to conclude that Mr El-Rufai was not registered as a patient. The CMD added that without a hospital number or personal phone number, it was impossible to verify any visits, payments, or departmental records connected to him.
He also said hospital management only became aware of the report when it was presented by the ICPC, and that although it was on National Hospital letterhead, it lacked the hospital’s knowledge or approval.
In his statement, Mr Abubakar said Mr El-Rufai had been a patient at the National Hospital since 2005, and that he had been engaged by the hospital since 1999.
He claimed that many of his consultations with Mr El-Rufai were not recorded because he did not consider them to require formal documentation.
Exhibits tendered include Mr Abubakar’s extra-judicial statements dated 9 and 14 July 2026; the CMD’s statement dated 10 July 2026; hospital letters dated 18 June and 10 July 2026; and a wallet deposit record dated 7 July 2026. The commission also reserved the right to file additional evidence under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
The former Kaduna governor is currently being prosecuted by the ICPC in several cases linked to corruption. He has rejected all the allegations, entered not-guilty pleas across the different charges, and has consistently alleged that both the federal government and the Kaduna State government are leveraging the legal actions to keep him behind bars.