Group Faults El-Rufai On Arrest Claims

Kaduna-based advocacy organisation, Kaduna-Scribe, has faulted former Kaduna State governor, Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, over his recent outcry against alleged arbitrary arrests, accusing him of “selective amnesia” and attempting to rewrite history.

In a statement issued yesterday by its national chairman, Comrade Ezekiel Gambo, the group said the former governor’s complaints were ironic, given what it described as a turbulent eight-year tenure marked by arrests, demolitions, labour unrest, and strained relations with traditional institutions.

El-Rufai recently condemned what he termed arbitrary arrests by the current administration, a remark that has sparked mixed reactions across the state. While some political allies expressed sympathy, Kaduna-Scribe said the statement reopened unresolved wounds for many residents.

“It is astonishing that a man under whose watch journalists, activists and critics were routinely arrested is now presenting himself as a victim of political intimidation,” the group said.

The group recalled that between 2015 and 2023, several arrests of activists and media practitioners generated national attention, with cases involving individuals such as Audu Maikori, Steven Kefas and Luka Binniyat becoming rallying points for free speech advocates.

According to Kaduna-Scribe, while the then-government consistently defended its actions as lawful enforcement against incitement and fake news, many civil society organisations argued that dissent was often treated as a security threat.

“El-Rufai repeatedly warned that his administration would not tolerate what he described as ‘fake news’ in a fragile security climate. But social media commentary and critical voices frequently attracted legal consequences,” the statement noted.

The group argued that the present debate should not ignore the experiences of those who, it said, faced intimidation during the previous administration.

Beyond arrests, the statement revisited controversial demolitions carried out during El-Rufai’s tenure.

Among the most debated was the demolition of a property linked to Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, once a political ally of the former governor. While the government maintained that such actions were part of urban renewal and enforcement of planning regulations, critics alleged political undertones.

Kaduna-Scribe also referenced operations in parts of Gbagyi Village towards the end of the administration in 2023, which reportedly led to displacement and public unrest.