Shehu Sani links El-Rufai detention to record in office
Former senator Shehu Sani says Nasir El-Rufai’s reported detention should be considered alongside allegations about his administration’s treatment of opponents and handling of insecurity. Sani said prolonged detention was painful, but argued that public officials could later face scrutiny over decisions made while they held power.
Former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani has linked the reported detention of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to what he described as the former governor’s record in office. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Sani said people who held public office should remember that power was temporary and that decisions made while in office could later attract scrutiny. Sani said he understood the difficulties associated with prolonged detention, citing his own experience of spending four years in prison.
He nevertheless argued that El-Rufai was facing consequences connected to his conduct as governor. The former senator alleged that El-Rufai’s administration, which ran from 2015 to 2023, was marked by what he called misgovernance, irresponsible leadership and the use of state institutions against opponents. He also said people could lose relationships and support when they were no longer in positions of influence.
Sani further criticised the former administration’s response to insecurity in Southern and Central Kaduna. He said many people commenting on the issue had not visited communities including Sanga, Kauru and Kachia, and argued that the state government had not done enough to support security agencies. He also questioned the effectiveness of measures adopted during El-Rufai’s tenure, saying violence in the affected areas had worsened.
Sani accused the former governor of inconsistency over banditry, referring to reports that Kaduna authorities had negotiated with bandits. Sani cited the case of journalist Binyat, whom he said was arrested after reporting alleged payments to bandits by the Kaduna State Government. He attributed the claim that bandits were paid not to kill to statements by the former governor, though the source material does not provide a response from El-Rufai or his representatives.
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