Many Kaduna residents were shocked by the enormous crowd of protesters of women and youths, who staged a protest in support of anti-graft agencies over the arrest and detention of ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai over alleged misappropriation of public funds while in office totalling N900 billion.
The protesters, numbering around 150, gathered late Wednesday at the Kaduna State Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) under the leadership of Garkuwa Ibrahim Babuga, President of the Nasiriyya Supporters Association.
The group that had previously been known to support the former governor during his tenure was completely opposed to the former governor’s tenure looting allegations.
During the protest, demonstrators displayed various placards with inscriptions such as “Kudos to anti-graft agencies EFCC and ICPC for interrogating El-Rufai.”
“The Kaduna State House of Assembly deserves credit for indicting El-Rufai for alleged misappropriation of public funds.” “The Kaduna State House of Assembly deserves credit for indicting El-Rufai for alleged misappropriation of public funds.”
The leader of the Nasiriyya, Babuga, speaking to journalists at the NUJ Secretariat, accused El-Rufai of misappropriating over ₦900 billion from the Kaduna State government while in office.
He urged anti-graft agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to compel the former governor to return the funds, which he described as Kaduna citizens’ collective wealth.
Babuga stated that the protest was organised to express the group’s full support for the administrations of Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he claims are committed to moving the country forward.
He also warned that if decisive action is not taken against the former governor, the Nasiriyya Supporters Association will have no choice but to mobilise its members to march on foot to the offices of anti-graft agencies in Abuja to demand prompt action.
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