Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The medical doctor at the centre of the controversy surrounding a medical report submitted in support of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai's bail application has admitted to authoring the document, but has vehemently denied any involvement in forging or falsifying records. Dr. Bello Abubakar, a Chief Consultant Clinical and Radiation Oncologist at the National Hospital, Abuja, made the disclosure in a voluntary statement submitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) during an investigation into the disputed report.
The oncologist, who is facing a four-count charge filed by the anti-corruption agency, insisted that he prepared the medical report in question but rejected allegations that he conspired with anyone to produce false information for use in court proceedings. According to him, he has no relationship with Mohammed Bala Aliyu, the individual accused of using the report to swear to an affidavit filed in support of El-Rufai's application for bail. "I cannot recall anybody with the name Mohammed Bala Aliyu, and I have never authorised him to depose an affidavit," Abubakar stated.
The controversy centres on a document dated June 10, 2026, titled "Medical Report and Expert Opinion for Urgent Medical Intervention". According to the ICPC, the report contained misleading information and was presented for official use despite questions surrounding its authenticity and compliance with established medical procedures. The commission alleged that the report claimed El-Rufai had been diagnosed with advanced metastatic prostate cancer requiring specialised treatment unavailable in Nigeria.
In his statement to the ICPC, Abubakar gave a detailed account of his relationship with the former governor. He said he first met El-Rufai through his wife, whose first child he had delivered, before El-Rufai later became his patient. According to the doctor, El-Rufai was not a registered patient at his private clinic but was registered at the National Hospital around 2005, where Abubakar has worked since its inception in September 1999. He said he consulted El-Rufai at the National Hospital not more than four times between 2017 and 2025, none of which were documented. In 2025, contact was limited to phone conversations while the former governor was abroad.
Abubakar said he consulted El-Rufai three times between June and July 2026 while the ex-governor was in ICPC detention. Two of the consultations took place at the ICPC in the presence of the commission's clinic staff, with his entry documented at the reception; the third was at the National Hospital. He maintained that he acted within his professional capacity and denied participating in any arrangement aimed at deceiving authorities.
The ICPC has, however, presented evidence that casts doubt on the authenticity of the report. In its response to ICPC enquiries, the National Hospital management, led by Chief Medical Director Muhammad Mahmud, confirmed that no hospital number was quoted on the report and that a search of its electronic medical records using different permutations of El-Rufai's name returned no match. The hospital said El-Rufai was not a registered patient and that it could not identify any visit by him to any department. The hospital also confirmed that it did not authorise the report attributed to Abubakar.
The ICPC subsequently filed a four-count charge against Abubakar. The first count accuses him of giving false information with intent to mislead a public officer. The second count alleges he used his position as a medical consultant to confer an unfair advantage on himself by knowingly issuing a false report. A third count accuses him of forming a common intention with Aliyu Bala to fabricate false information. The fourth count accuses him of dishonestly making a false document, presenting the report as though it carried the authority of the National Hospital.
Abubakar, however, has denied knowing Aliyu Bala. "I have no idea who Mohammed Bala Aliyu is and never had any dealing or contact with the same person. Never," he said in his statement. The ICPC has also petitioned the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, seeking professional sanctions against Abubakar for alleged acts of professional misconduct.
The National Hospital had earlier disowned the medical report, with the Chief Medical Director expected to testify that Abubakar issued the report without conducting the required medical examination. The hospital also confirmed that Abubakar remains attached to the facility as a Chief Consultant Radiation Oncologist on a contract appointment following his retirement from full-time service.
The Kaduna State High Court had previously declined El-Rufai's bail application on medical grounds after the ICPC presented documentary evidence from the National Hospital disowning the document. The court's ruling reaffirmed that applications for bail on medical grounds must be supported by credible and verifiable evidence. As the case progresses, Abubakar's admission that he authored the report, coupled with his denial of forgery, sets the stage for a legal battle that will test the boundaries of medical professional responsibility and the integrity of evidence presented in court proceedings.
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