Protesters Storm Kaduna Government House, Demand Investigation, Arrest of El-Rufai Over Alleged N423bn Fraud

Protesters under the banner of Kaduna Citizens Watch for Good Governance (KCWGG) took to the streets on Thursday, demanding the arrest and investigation of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, over alleged financial misconduct amounting to N423 billion.

 

The demonstrators gathered at the Kaduna State Government House, urging Governor Uba Sani to instruct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other relevant agencies to prosecute El-Rufai based on indictments from his administration's financial dealings.

 

Brandishing placards with various messages condemning financial mismanagement, abuse of power, and the accumulation of debt during El-Rufai's tenure, the protesters voiced their dissatisfaction with the handling of state resources.

 

Among the messages on the placards were statements such as ‘We will occupy all MDAs to chase out all indicted persons in the report’ and ‘Stop servicing all loans that did not follow due process before they were obtained’.

 

The protest follows recent disclosures by Governor Uba Sani regarding the state's significant debt burden inherited from the previous administration, which reportedly consumes over 70% of the state's allocation.

 

Earlier, the Kaduna State House of Assembly had formed an ad-hoc committee to investigate financial transactions spanning from May 29, 2015, to May 29, 2023.

 

The committee's findings, submitted on June 5 and led by Barrister Henry Danjuma Magaji, highlighted substantial irregularities and unaccounted funds during El-Rufai’s administration.

 

Addressing journalists during the protest at the Government House, Chairman of KCWGG, Comrade Victor Duniya, expressed grave concerns over the alleged misappropriation of funds, including the diversion of N10.5 billion meant for pastoral nomadism and other critical projects.

 

“As concerned citizens, we condemn in the strongest terms possible the outright and merciless looting of our state, which has widened the poverty gap," Comrade Duniya stated emphatically.

 

He called upon Governor Uba Sani to act on the findings of the committee report swiftly, urging the government to forward the details to anti-corruption agencies for immediate action and the recovery of misappropriated funds.

 

Following the protest, Comrade Duniya and other representatives were received in a closed-door meeting by Deputy Governor Dr Hadiza Balarabe, Secretary to the State Government Abdulkadir Meyere, Deputy Chief of Staff Umar Hassan Waziri, and other top officials.

 

The outcome of the meeting and the next steps in addressing the protesters' demands remain awaited as the call for accountability and transparency in governance continues to resonate in Kaduna State.