El-Rufai's Quick Release Suggests No Wrongdoing, Says Commentator

A commentator active on social media, Imran U. Wakili, has claimed that the unexpected release of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, is indicative of unfair targeting by government officials.

In a post on X (previously known as Twitter), Wakili asserted that El-Rufai’s time in detention was not founded on any substantiated criminal actions but was rather a maneuver to impose humiliation.

He emphasized that the timing of El-Rufai’s release raises serious questions regarding the intentions behind his arrest and the duration of his confinement.

Wakili remarked, “The sudden release of Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai shows that they were only keeping him to humiliate him, not because he committed any crime.”

Furthermore, he criticized the government for preventing El-Rufai from bidding farewell to his deceased mother while he remained in custody for the duration of Ramadan.

He suggested that the eventual release, which comes at a time that allows the former governor to attend his mother’s funeral, hints at a reconsideration by the authorities.

While expressing that this act may display “a little conscience,” Wakili still lamented the unjust treatment endured by El-Rufai.

President Bola Tinubu, Governor Uba Sani, and Malam Nuhu Ribadu have all expressed condolences to El-Rufai regarding the loss of his mother, which has sparked a variety of reactions on social media. Some users have characterized the ordeal faced by the former governor as an issue primarily affecting the elite class.

El-Rufai was previously arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on ten counts including alleged conversion of public property and money laundering.

He was brought before a Federal High Court in Kaduna, where the court postponed his bail application until March 31.

However, just hours following the death of his mother in Cairo, Egypt, the anti-graft agency released El-Rufai, who has consistently denied all accusations brought against him.