The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday interrogated the former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, over allegations of mismanagement of public funds during his eight-year tenure from 2015 to 2023.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain honoured an invitation by the commission, days after a failed attempt to arrest him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja last Thursday.
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Ubong Akpan, counsel to El-Rufai, had said the EFCC invitation was received while he was overseas. He had long defended his client, stressing that there was no basis for the attempted arrest, while insisting on the former governor’s passport.
While El-Rufai heeded the invitation, two groups of protesters stormed the EFCC headquarters to support the former governor.
Some were chanting solidarity songs, others were calling for a thorough investigation.
A mild drama occurred when some of the persons who accompanied El-Rufai were prevented from entering the commission’s office in Jabi, Abuja. They were tear-gassed by the operatives of the anti-graft commission after ignoring repeated calls to leave.
“The protesters who came to the EFCC headquarters came in the exercise of their lawful constitutional right; I addressed them.
“They said El-Rufai should make himself accountable. After addressing them, what is the next thing to do? They are supposed to go,” Oyewale said, defending the act.
He explained that when El-Rufai arrived in a long convoy, the commission reminded the crowd that only the former governor had been invited, and they should depart.
“They resisted all our efforts to let them get back. So in law enforcement, when you have such a situation, you have to disperse them. There is nothing unusual about that,” Oyewale added.
Videos circulating on social media showed chaotic scenes outside the EFCC headquarters, with supporters waving placards reading “We stand with El-Rufai. We stand for law” and “El-Rufai is a citizen, not a subject” amid clouds of tear gas.
Oyewale confirmed that calm had returned and that El-Rufai remained in EFCC custody for questioning.
“Of course, they are gone now. Everywhere is calm. El-Rufai is here, he is facing our interrogation,” he said.
Meanwhile, a counter-protest organised by the Mega National Movement for Good Governance also gathered outside the EFCC, holding banners such as “El-Rufai cannot hide behind politics; let the law catch up” and “Answer the charge, El-Rufai.”
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Muhammad Abdullahi, a member of the group, urged the EFCC to conduct a thorough, impartial investigation, saying, “If those who served in that administration are subjecting themselves to due process, it is only proper that the former governor does the same without politicising the process,” he said.
The EFCC emphasised that dispersing the crowd was a necessary measure to ensure that lawful procedures were not obstructed, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to due process and unbiased investigation.
