Former presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, has reacted to the ongoing detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), mocking both men over their current legal battles.
El-Rufai and Malami are being investigated by Nigerian authorities over alleged corruption and security-related offences.
El-Rufai’s spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, disclosed on Monday that the former governor suffered a nosebleed overnight while in custody.
Adekeye also alleged that the commission prevented El-Rufai’s wife from personally handing him food on February 17.
El-Rufai had turned himself in at the EFCC headquarters on February 16 after receiving an invitation from the anti-graft agency. On February 18, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission reportedly assumed custody of him following his release from the EFCC.
Both anti-graft agencies are investigating alleged financial misconduct during El-Rufai’s tenure as governor of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023. In 2024, the Kaduna State House of Assembly accused him of misappropriating N423bn and engaging in money laundering, calling for a probe.
Malami is also facing prosecution by the Department of State Services over alleged illegal possession of firearms and terrorism financing.
Reacting, Sowore claimed that Malami had reached out to him and his legal team for assistance.
He said, “Malami sent people to me and our lawyer to come and bringing him out. He suddenly found out that we are the most credible people around. I’m sure El-Rufai must have been looking for a way now to reach out, because all this shouting about bleeding of the nose is to get sympathy,” he said.
“I’m not saying that his nose is not bleeding, and I call on the government to stop his nosebleed. They must give him good doctors or take him to Kaduna to go to the hospital he built to stop the bleeding.”
Sowore also advised public office holders to pay attention to prison conditions.
“If you are in power in this country, like the governor, head of state, or President, Vice President, senators, you should take care of the prisons, in case you find yourselves there,” he said.
While saying he does not support impunity against anyone, Sowore suggested that both men were now facing the consequences of a system they helped build.
“I’m surprised that his nose is bleeding at the ICPC. When did his nose start bleeding? When he was governor, was his nose bleeding? But I’m not making fun of him, because I don’t support any form of impunity against anybody.
“But even while we are condemning impunity, we must also not let history invade us by reminding ourselves that these guys created the monsters that are now consuming them,” he added.
