‘El-Rufai’s Detention Killed His Mother’ – ADC Chieftain Drops Shocking Claims

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has stirred fresh controversy with claims that the detention of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, led to the death of his mother.

Okonkwo made the remark while reacting to the circumstances surrounding El-Rufai’s arrest and subsequent detention over alleged corruption charges.

The former governor had been held by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) over activities linked to his time in office. He was later arraigned before a Kaduna State High Court, where he secured bail.

During the period of his detention, El-Rufai reportedly lost his mother. Authorities later granted him administrative bail to enable him attend her burial.

The development drew public attention at the time, with many questioning the timing of his temporary release.

Speaking during an interview with Symponi TV, Okonkwo accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of manipulating legal processes for political ends. He argued that the handling of El-Rufai’s case raised serious concerns about the independence of the judiciary.

He said: “APC wants to use the lawyers and the judiciary; why am I saying that they want to use the judiciary?

“I give you a good example of what happened in El-Rufai’s case; as far as I’m concerned, it’s the incarceration of El-Rufai that killed his mother.

“You know when mothers get to that age they are so sentimental, they become so emotional.

“Let me tell you, somebody told my mother that thieves stole from the houses of some of her children, she felt so bad that they had to call preachers to come and start preaching to her that nothing is wrong.

“Then you can imagine an aged woman of 90 years and you are telling her that they arrested her son, some people might tell her that her son has died, that is what killed her in my own opinion.

“When the woman died that is when they remembered that they would release El-Rufai without court order, meaning that they are the one using the judiciary, because you can’t disobey the order of the court.”

Okonkwo’s comments suggest that the emotional toll of El-Rufai’s arrest may have contributed to his mother’s passing, although he admitted it was his personal opinion.

The ADC chieftain further insisted that the sequence of events surrounding the case raises questions about whether due process was strictly followed. According to him, the decision to release El-Rufai only after his mother’s death points to possible inconsistencies in the application of the law.