Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Kaduna State on Wednesday, demanding the immediate release of former governor Nasir El-Rufai.
The protests followed the continued detention of the ADC leader and the failure of the Department of State Services (DSS) to bring him to court for arraignment on alleged phone tapping and cybercrime charges.
Demonstrators from Kaduna metropolis and Southern Kaduna gathered at key locations in the state capital, chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with messages such as “Free El-Rufai Now” and “Justice for Our Leader.” Other signs read, “Kaduna Demands Governance, Not Revenge.” The protesters included women, youths, and elderly supporters of the former governor.
In Kaduna metropolis, crowds gathered along the Western Bypass, a major economic corridor, temporarily disrupting traffic. Security personnel were deployed to monitor the protest and prevent escalation, with no immediate reports of clashes.
A similar demonstration occurred in Kafanchan, headquarters of Jema’a Local Government Area, where Southern Kaduna youths held a peaceful rally in solidarity with El-Rufai.
Speaking during the protest, a leader of the Arewa youth movement, Ibrahim Modibbo Sanusi, described El-Rufai’s continued detention as unjust and politically motivated.
“We are here to register our displeasure over the continued detention of our leader,” Sanusi said. “We demand his immediate and unconditional release. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done.” He warned that failure by the authorities to heed their demands could lead to further mass mobilisation.
“If this situation persists, Kaduna youths will have no option but to escalate our actions within the ambit of the law,” he said, adding that the group would mobilise a one-million-man march in Abuja if El-Rufai is not released.