Dare Babalola
Reno Omokri, a prominent Nigerian commentator, has taken to social media to highlight the contentious record of Nasir El-Rufai, former Governor of Kaduna State, amidst current controversy surrounding his person.
In a post via Facebook on Friday, Omokri recounted El-Rufai’s eight-year tenure, citing instances of alleged human rights abuses, suppression of dissent, and demolition of properties belonging to critics.
Omokri shared a disturbing photo of Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, who was allegedly reduced to a “barbaric and pathetic state” under El-Rufai’s governorship.
He claimed that 347 Shia Muslims, including women, children, and infants, were killed during this period, with unofficial estimates putting the death toll at around 1,000.
“In addition to reducing Sheikh Zakzaky to such a barbaric and pathetic state, 347 Shia Muslim men, women, children, and infants were massacred under Nasir el-Rufai,” Omokri wrote.
The post also highlighted the cases of Abubakar Idris, a critic who was abducted and presumed dead, and several journalists and activists who were arrested or forced to flee the country due to El-Rufai’s alleged vendetta.
Omokri further accused El-Rufai of demolishing properties linked to critics, including Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi and Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir.
“Nasir el-Rufai arrested multiple journalists and activists for covering him negatively, including: Jacob Onjewu Dickson, Segun Onibiyo,Midat Joseph and Audu Maikori.
“Audu Maikori had to escape Nigeria for the United States, where I met him, interviewed him, and shuddered in terror at what Nasir El-Rufai did to him,” Omokri stated.
Omokri slammed El-Rufai’s current claims of persecution, stating that he is being prosecuted for his alleged crimes, including the theft of ₦423 billion during his tenure as Governor. He urged El-Rufai to stop grandstanding and face the law, emphasising that no one is above the law.
“Nasir el-Rufai is fingered in the alleged theft of ₦423 billion during his tenure by no less a body than the Kaduna State House of Assembly. He is not above the law or above arrest. He should not resist legal arrest or try to blame others for his alleged crimes,” Omokri wrote.
The post concluded with Omokri’s assertion that El-Rufai’s history of suppressing dissent and committing alleged atrocities should not be ignored, and that he should be held accountable for his actions.
Recall that there was a dramatic incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja involving El-Rufai, and the Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday.
El-Rufai’s supporters say security personnel attempted to arrest him upon his arrival from Cairo, but he resisted, citing lack of a formal invitation or warrant.
The DSS operatives allegedly seized his international passport, sparking outrage among bystanders who insisted on due process. El-Rufai’s lawyers have condemned the move as “unlawful” and “a flagrant violation of constitutional rights,” demanding the return of his passport and an apology.
