Tension gripped parts of Kaduna State on Wednesday as youth groups staged coordinated protests across the state, demanding the immediate release of former governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
The protesters, drawn from different communities, converged on strategic locations within Kaduna metropolis and parts of Southern Kaduna, chanting solidarity songs and wielding placards bearing inscriptions such as “Free El-Rufai Now,” “Justice for Our Leader,” and “Kaduna Demands Governance, Not Revenge.”
Women, youths and adults were seen participating in the demonstrations, which followed the denial of bail to the former governor after his arrest by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
“We Demand His Immediate Release” — Protest Leader
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.
According to him, the youths gathered to express their dissatisfaction over what they termed prolonged detention.
“We are here to register our displeasure over the continued detention of our leader.
We demand his immediate and unconditional release. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done,” Sanusi said.
He warned that failure by authorities to respond to their demands could trigger further actions.
“If this situation persists, Kaduna youths will have no option but to escalate our actions within the ambit of the law,” he added, threatening a one-million-man march in Abuja if the former governor is not released.
Protest Spreads To Southern Kaduna
Sanusi further disclosed that youths in Southern Kaduna joined the demonstration in Kafanchan, headquarters of Jema’a Local Government Area, describing it as a peaceful show of solidarity.
In Kaduna metropolis, protesters gathered at the busy Western Bye-pass, a major economic corridor, temporarily disrupting vehicular movement.
Security personnel were deployed to monitor the protest and ensure it did not degenerate into violence. As of the time of filing this report, no casualties or arrests had been confirmed.