Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives representing Kaduna North, has said several prominent politicians, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, contacted him to inquire about the wellbeing of his father, former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, who is in detention.

Bello, who chairs the House Committee on Banking Regulations, said Obi, Atiku, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso were among those who called him.

Speaking in a video, Bello expressed particular appreciation to Obi, whom he said had frequently contacted him despite his previous criticism of the former Anambra State governor.

“Politicians like Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Mr Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Kwankwaso, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and others called me to ask about my dad,” he said.

“I would like to thank them, particularly Mr Peter Obi. He always called me to ask about my dad. And for me, at 38, it’s a lesson in life because, in the case of Obi, I used to be critical of him.”

El-Rufai was arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on February 18, 2026, amid investigations into alleged financial offences during his tenure as Kaduna governor.

He subsequently faced several legal proceedings, including money-laundering charges and a case brought by the Department of State Services over an alleged national security breach and unauthorised access to a telephone conversation involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.

In May, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted El-Rufai bail of N100 million with one surety in the DSS case. The court later declined to vary the bail conditions.

Bello said his father had used his time in detention to read, study the Quran and reflect. “For Malam, he is using the time to finish books, catch up, read the Quran, so it’s also a moment for him in isolation to reflect, plan better, and tone down on things like that,” he said.