Release El-Rufai or Charge Him in Court – Sultan Tells Tinubu, Questions US Military Deployment
The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has reportedly urged President Bola Tinubu to either release former Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai or formally charge him in court.
In a video of a sermon circulating on X, Islamic scholar, Sanusi Khalil narrated that the Sultan requested that “Nasir should either be arraigned before a competent court or released on bail while investigations continue. The Sultan is not saying a perpetrator should not be punished; rather, he is requesting due process should be followed.”
Sheikh Khalil also said the Sultan raised concerns over the deployment of American troops to Northern Nigeria, asking whether the forces were sent to train Nigerian soldiers or if a permanent base is being established in the region.
“If a base is going to be provided for them, then why must it be established in Northern Nigeria?” Khalil quoted the Sultan.
The cleric reaffirmed his support for the Sultan, stating, “We at our level can’t ask such hard-hitting questions, it might be tagged as disrespectful, but I am glad leaders like the Sultan are asking the right questions, and he will always have our support and prayers.”
Meanwhile, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) clarified that El-Rufai’s continued detention follows an existing court order and not a new directive.
Spokesperson Okor Odey said the commission appeared in court Tuesday to respond to an application filed by El-Rufai on March 6 seeking to overturn a remand order issued on March 5.
“All actions taken so far were in strict compliance with the law, including the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015,”Odey said, noting that the initial order allowed 14 days for detention and investigation, which was subsequently extended by the court.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
