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Alleged fake medical report: ICPC charges El-Rufai’s doctor with forgery

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has repeatedly filed a four-count charge against Bello Abubakar, an oncology consultant at the National Hospital, Abuja, accusing him of forging a medical report used to seek bail for former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai on health grounds.

According to reports, the charges, filed on Friday, accuse the oncology consultant of issuing a false medical report to mislead a public officer and support El-Rufai’s bail application in a separate case, marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/02/2026, pending before the Kaduna State High Court.

According to the charge sheet, Abubakar authored the report, titled “Medical Report and Expert Opinion for Urgent Medical Intervention,” dated 10 June 2026 — knowing its contents were false- and presented it to a Commissioner for Oaths in Kaduna State before it was filed in court.

The first count accuses the oncology consultant 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. The second count alleges he used his position as a medical consultant to confer an unfair advantage on himself by knowingly issuing the false report, an offence under Section 19 of the same Act.

A third count accuses Abubakar, a professor, of forming a common intention with Aliyu Bala to fabricate false information, specifically authoring the report to enable Bala to depose a further affidavit in support of the bail application, contrary to Section 79 of the Penal Code.

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The fourth count accuses him of dishonestly making a false document, presenting the report as though it carried the authority of the National Hospital, when he allegedly knew the document was not authorised by the hospital, an offence under Sections 362 and 364 of the Penal Code.

Court filings show that the National Hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Raji Mahmud, is expected to testify that Abubakar purportedly issued the medical report in Mr El-Rufai’s favour without conducting the required medical examination and handed it to the family to support the bail application.

The CMD is also expected to tell the court that the National Hospital, responding to letters from ICPC investigators, stated that it did not authorise the report attributed to the defendant. He is expected to testify further that the report was subsequently used by Mr Bala to depose an affidavit backing El-Rufai’s bail bid, and that investigations established that the report was false and did not follow the hospital’s due process.

In a letter responding to ICPC’s enquiries, the CMD confirmed that Abubakar remains attached to the hospital as a Chief Consultant Radiation Oncologist, on a contract appointment following his retirement from full-time service.

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The letter stated that the medical report written by Abubakar bore no hospital number, but that hospital staff nonetheless searched its Electronic Medical Records using variations of El-Rufai’s name, and cross-checked patients who visited the Oncology clinic in the first two weeks of June 2026.

The search found no matching record, leading the hospital to conclude that El-Rufai was not a registered patient. The CMD said the absence of a hospital number or personal phone number made it impossible to verify any hospital visits, receipts or departmental records linked to him.

The CMD further stated that hospital management was unaware of the report until it was presented by the ICPC, and that although it was written on National Hospital letterhead, it did not have the knowledge or backing of hospital management.

But in his own statement, Abubakar said El-Rufai had been registered as a patient at the National Hospital since 2005, while he himself had been on staff there since 1999.

He said several of his consultations with El-Rufai were not documented because, in his view, they did not amount to discussions requiring formal documentation.

He said he documented no more than four consultations with El-Rufai between 2017 and 2025. He added that between 2025 and 2026, he consulted for El-Rufai three times while the former governor was in ICPC detention — twice at the commission’s facility and once at the National Hospital.

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The CMD’s account, however, contradicted the timeline provided by Abubakar. He said that, as far as he was aware, Mr El-Rufai was registered as a patient only on 7 July 2026, and that he was not aware El-Rufai was a patient at the National Hospital at all.

The ICPC listed two principal witnesses: its investigator, Olugbemi Osanoto, and the National Hospital’s CMD, Raji Mahmud, alongside a representative of the Kaduna State High Court and any additional witnesses to be produced by subpoena.

Exhibits listed in the charge by the ICPC include extra-judicial statements recorded from Mr Abubakar, dated 9 and 14 July 2026; a statement from the CMD dated 10 July 2026; hospital correspondence dated 18 June and 10 July 2026; and a wallet deposit record dated 7 July 2026, alongside any further evidence to be filed in line with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

El-Rufai is facing multiple corruption-related prosecutions instituted by the ICPC.

The former governor has denied the allegations, pleaded not guilty in the various cases, and has repeatedly accused the federal and Kaduna governments of using the prosecutions to keep him in detention.

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Two Oyo commissioner, special adviser resign

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Two senior officials in the Oyo State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning have resigned their appointments from Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.

The officials are Ayobami Ojo, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, and Simeon Oyeleke, the ministry’s Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning.

In separate letters dated November 2, and addressed to Mr Makinde, both officials said their resignations would take effect immediately, while thanking the governor for the opportunity to serve but did not give specific reasons for their decisions.

In his letter, Ojo referred to his appointment letter dated 22 June 2026 and formally announced his resignation as commissioner.

“With reference to your letter dated 22nd June, 2026 (SP.S.662/2/VOL.IV/192), I respectfully write to formally resign my appointment as Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, with effect from today, 2nd November, 2026,” he wrote.

He described his time in government as an honour and said he appreciated the opportunity to serve the state.

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Oyeleke also tendered his resignation with effect from 2 November.

In his letter, he thanked Mr Makinde for the confidence reposed in him and the opportunity to contribute to the administration’s policies and development programmes.

He also expressed appreciation for the governor’s leadership, support and encouragement during his time in office.

“I remain grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this administration and to have contributed to its laudable achievements. I also remain committed to the peace, progress and development of Oyo State,” he wrote.

The latest resignations come amid a series of exits of political appointees and other officials from the Makinde administration in recent months.

It would be recalled that Segun Ogunwuyi resigned as the governor’s chief of staff on 12 October, a position he had held since July 2021. His resignation took immediate effect, although he did not state a reason for his departure.

A few hours after Ogunwuyi’s departure, Makinde appointed Bashorun Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, as his replacement.

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On the same day, Tara Adefope, the Director-General of the Oyo State Due Process Office, also resigned from her position, while in late October, Kabiru Salami, the governor’s Executive Assistant on Security Coordination, also tendered his resignation.

Other officials who have left the administration include Funmi Arulogun, a Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, who resigned in August, citing personal and political considerations.

Babatunde Oduyoye, a member of the Oyo State Advisory Council, also resigned in July, while Fatai Owoseni, a former Commissioner of Police who served as the governor’s Special Adviser on Security resigned in May.

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Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: Campaigns: OK Movement insists on independence

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1. The OK (Obi/Kwankwaso) Movement has declared that it will maintain its independent identity while mobilising support for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its candidates ahead of the 2027 general election. 

Movement’s leader John Ughulu said the group remained committed to its original mission of securing the election of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and erstwhile Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Speaking in an interview, Ughulu dismissed suggestions that the movement’s decision to campaign independently would undermine its support for the NDC, insisting that the focus should be on achieving a common  political objective.

2. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid got a big boost at the weekend with endorsements from across the country. His achievement, the need for consolidation, national cohesion, and other reasons were adduced for the show of solidarity. The presidential election is billed for January 16, 2027

3. The Federal Government has vowed to crack down on inflated public contracts and procurement violations, warning heads of government-owned agencies, corporations, councils, authorities and commissions that they risk sanctions for breaching procurement regulations. The government raised the alarm over contract awards that exceed approved price benchmarks.

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4. The African Democratic Congress has rescheduled its presidential campaign kick-off in Sokoto State to Wednesday, November 4, despite alleging threats, attacks on its members and attempts by the state government to frustrate the event. The party said its decision to proceed with the campaign was a demonstration of its determination to exercise its constitutional rights despite what it described as growing political intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

5. Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised four leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province, including two Arabs, a commander and several of their foot soldiers in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. The Army said they were neutralised on October 31, 2026, by combined troops of the Joint Task Force deployed to Kukawa following a massive ISWAP terrorists attack on their locations.

6. United States President, Donald Trump, has agreed to grant an immediate visa to the mother of a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy shot dead in New York, following a request by the city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani announced the development on Saturday after speaking with Trump, saying the visa would allow the teenager’s mother to travel to the United States and attend her son’s funeral.

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7. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two Nigerians based in Europe after they allegedly ingested 200 wraps of cocaine weighing 3.46kg while attempting to travel from Abuja to Paris, France. The suspects, identified as Aliocus Odife and Sam Blackborn, were arrested on Wednesday during the outward clearance of an Air France flight, AF 832, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

8. Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 100-level female student of Plateau State University, Bokkos, while another person sustained injuries during an attack on off-campus student residential areas in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. It was learnt that the incidents, which occurred on Saturday evening at about 8:40pm, had heightened concerns over the safety of students residing outside the university campus.

9. An early-morning fire outbreak at the weekend destroyed no fewer than 110 buildings and structures at Kofar Ruwa Timber Market in the Kano metropolis. The Kano State Fire Service, while confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, said the inferno razed 75 permanent buildings and 35 temporary structures across different sections of the market.

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10. The immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has declared his readiness to align with President Bola Tinubu or former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election, while ruling out support for the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi.

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Relief as suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa tested negative

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that there are currently no laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola  in Adamawa.

The NCDC had on Saturday said that there were two suspected cases of Ebola in the north-east state, adding that the individuals had been isolated while contact identification was ongoing.

But in a statement on Sunday, the director-general of NCDC, Jide Idris,
said samples collected from the two individuals, who had symptoms suggestive of Ebola, tested negative after two rounds of testing.

“The report was received by the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in the early hours of 30 October 2026, following the identification of two individuals presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola, requiring further investigation,” the statement reads.

“Hence the alert that was released early this evening. The individuals have been isolated, and appropriate public health measures have been initiated.

“Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness. Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing.”

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Idris commended the Adamawa health commissioner and his team for their “proactive approach”, adding that the NCDC was working closely with the state government to investigate the report of suspected Ebola cases.

“Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa state,” he said.

“The index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory remains the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria to date.”

He urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information or speculating about the situation.

“The public is encouraged to obtain information from official government and public health communication channels,” he said.

Idris described Ebola as a serious infectious disease that requires prompt identification, appropriate clinical management and effective infection prevention and control measures.

“Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly following relevant exposure, should seek immediate medical attention and inform healthcare workers of any relevant travel or contact history,” he said.

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“Individuals should avoid self-medication and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.”

Nigeriaconfirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20, after a 42-year-old Swiss woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja.

The patient, who had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, was subsequently isolated and treated by Nigerian health workers.

On Monday, the federal governmentevacuated the patient to Switzerland aboard a medical plane.

Her husband, who was identified as a close contact, was also evacuated to Switzerland.

Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious and communicating, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.

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