Charge El-Rufai To Court Or Release Him, ADC Chieftain Tells ICPC
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Usman Austin, has urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to either charge former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to court or release him.
Austin in a statement on Saturday, expressed concern over El-Rufai’s detention, calling on the commission to follow due process.
He referenced the approach of the Department of State Services, which he said had recently opted to seek judicial intervention in handling similar matters.
“The decision of the DSS to approach a court of law rather than resorting to arbitrary detention is both civil and democratic.
“The DSS has shown that the proper way to handle such matters is to let the court decide through merit-based arguments from both the prosecutor and the defendant,” he said.
He maintained that if there are allegations against El-Rufai, they should be addressed in court, stressing the importance of adhering to established legal procedures.
Austin also noted that El-Rufai had previously honoured an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, describing the former governor as cooperative with investigative authorities.
“The EFCC is yet to explain the circumstances of this custody—whether Mallam El-Rufai was officially handed over to the ICPC or if he was re-arrested after being granted administrative bail. This ambiguity undermines the rule of law,” he said
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
