Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has raised concerns over the health and safety of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, alleging that a foreign doctor of Russian origin was secretly brought to examine him while in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a statement issued on Friday, Frank claimed that a DSS official contacted him to confirm that the doctor visited El-Rufai around 9:45 p.m. after security operatives reportedly said the former governor required urgent medical attention.
According to Frank, El-Rufai initially resisted the medical examination but was allegedly compelled to undergo it.
“A DSS official reached out to me to reliably confirm that a Russian doctor visited Mallam Nasir El-Rufai at about 9:45 p.m. under the claim that he was ill and required medical attention,” he said.
Frank questioned why a foreign doctor was allegedly invited late at night if the medical concern was genuine, adding that the development had heightened public suspicion.
The former APC spokesman further alleged that the doctor, identified as “Dr Dmitriy,” examined El-Rufai without consultation with his family members or associates.
He expressed concern over what he described as “extraordinary measures” surrounding the detention of the former governor, insisting that El-Rufai appeared healthy during his last court appearance.
“The Malam El-Rufai many Nigerians saw during his last court appearance looked healthy and stable. If medical attention was genuinely required, shouldn’t it have been at his own request?” Frank queried.
He also referenced earlier claims of an alleged plot against the former Kaduna governor, saying the reported appearance of the Russian doctor had intensified fears over his safety.
Frank questioned whether President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani were uncomfortable with El-Rufai’s political influence.
“The question Nigerians should ask is this: what exactly are President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani afraid of?” he asked.
Frank recalled El-Rufai’s role in the emergence of the current administration during the 2023 general elections, describing him as a key ally of the president at the time.
He also alleged that despite a subsisting directive for El-Rufai to remain with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), he was allegedly moved back into DSS custody.
According to Frank, the former governor had voluntarily presented himself to security agencies after returning to Nigeria from Egypt, arguing that corruption allegations should not amount to indefinite detention.
While reaffirming his support for the anti-corruption campaign, Frank stressed that due process, fairness, and the rule of law must be upheld at all times.
He called on the Nigerian Bar Association, civil society organisations, northern elders, religious leaders, and the international community to intervene and demand El-Rufai’s release.
Frank warned that failure to act promptly could worsen tensions surrounding the matter and urged relevant authorities to ensure transparency in the handling of the former governor’s case.
