The Digest:
Youth groups in Kaduna State staged street protests on Wednesday demanding the immediate release of former Governor Nasir el-Rufai, who remains in detention by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Protesters converged on strategic locations across Kaduna metropolis and parts of Southern Kaduna, chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards reading "Free El-Rufai Now" and "Justice for Our Leader." Arewa Youth Movement leader Ibrahim Modibbo Sanusi described the detention as "unjust and politically motivated," warning that failure to heed their demands could lead to further mass action. He threatened to mobilise a one-million-man march in Abuja if the government fails to release el-Rufai. Security personnel monitored the protests to prevent violence. In Kaduna metropolis, protesters gathered at Western Bye-pass, temporarily disrupting traffic, while Southern Kaduna youths demonstrated in Kafanchan in solidarity.
Key Points:
- The protests reflect strong grassroots support for el-Rufai despite corruption allegations.
- They raise political stakes in the legal battle against the former governor.
- El-Rufai gains public sympathy, while authorities face pressure.
- This signals the former governor's enduring political influence in Kaduna.
- The timing, with threats of escalation, keeps spotlight on his detention.
Kaduna youths protest el-Rufai's continued detention, threaten million-man march in Abuja if former governor not released.
Sources: Daily Trust, ICPC
