A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has claimed that the detention of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai contributed to the death of his mother.
El-Rufai was earlier detained by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) over alleged corruption during his time in office. He was later arraigned before a Kaduna State High Court and granted bail. During his detention, he lost his mother and was subsequently given administrative bail to attend her burial.
Reacting to the development, Okonkwo accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to manipulate the judiciary.
Speaking in an interview with Symponi TV, Okonkwo argued that the emotional toll of El-Rufai’s arrest may have affected his aged mother.
“As far as I’m concerned, it was the incarceration of El-Rufai that led to his mother’s death,” he said. “At that age, mothers can be very emotional. Hearing that her son had been arrested could have been devastating, and in my opinion, that contributed to her passing.”
He further alleged that authorities demonstrated selective adherence to legal processes, noting that El-Rufai was released without a court order only after his mother’s death.
“That shows they are trying to use the judiciary, because you cannot ignore court orders,” Okonkwo added.
