Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has petitioned the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) over alleged unprofessional conduct, abuse of office, and violations of the Police Act by senior officers of the Kaduna State Police Command.

El-Rufai’s petition comes in the wake of an invitation extended to him and six other members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for questioning on allegations of criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance of public peace, mischief, and causing grievous harm.

Although El-Rufai was expected at the police command on Monday around 10am, he did not personally honour the invitation. Instead, a team of lawyers, accompanied by Elder Patrick Didam Ambut, the ADC Chairman in Kaduna State, arrived at about 11am and held a closed-door meeting with the Commissioner of Police before briefing journalists.

“We received an invitation from the police last week, demanding that I bring certain persons for investigation. As a law-abiding party, we have come to inform them that we have not done anything contrary to the law,” Elder Ambut told reporters after the meeting.

When asked why El-Rufai and other key persons mentioned in the letter were absent, Ambut replied: “You know El-Rufai, right? And you are asking why?”

Allegations of police complicity

The development followed a violent attack on an ADC meeting in Kaduna, where suspected thugs stormed the venue, smashing windows, vandalizing vehicles, and injuring party members.

El-Rufai, who was present at the event, accused the police of complicity, alleging that an Assistant Commissioner of Police stood by while the thugs unleashed violence.

“It is a matter that I will report to the highest levels of the police and the Police Service Commission. I have his picture. He removed his name tag, which is contrary to police regulations. We will escalate this. We will bring them to justice,” El-Rufai said at the scene.

In his petition to the PSC, El-Rufai alleged that since the current Commissioner of Police assumed office on December 30, 2024, he had engaged in “egregiously unlawful acts” that violated the Police Act and undermined public trust.

His media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, explained that the petition called for an immediate, impartial, and thorough investigation into the “unlawful and unconstitutional conduct” of the Commissioner and some officers of the Kaduna State Police Command.

“I am writing out of concern that the Nigerian Police, warts and all, is the only frontline law enforcement institution we have. The duty of all citizens is not only to support it at every level but also to ensure that the Commission is provided with opportunities to deliver on its regulatory powers to enforce discipline and promote sound and ethical conduct by all police officers at all times.

“This laudable goal can only be attained if the Commission’s attention is consistently drawn to the egregious conduct of some bad eggs who serve interests other than those conferred by law in Section 4 of the Police Act, 2020. Such conduct damages the image of the police and undermines public confidence in its leadership,” he said.

Police summon and allegations

The petition followed a series of escalating confrontations between El-Rufai, the ADC, and the police.

On September 4, the Kaduna State Police Command sealed the ADC secretariat in Kaduna and subsequently invited El-Rufai and other ADC leaders for questioning at the SCID over alleged conspiracy, incitement, and disturbance of public peace.

The invitation letter, with reference number CR:3000/KDS/X/D4/vOL.120/199, was signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, CID, Uzairu Abdullahi, and addressed to the ADC Chairman. It directed the party to produce the listed members at the SCID for questioning on September 8, 2025.

Those invited included Nasir El-Rufai; Bashir Sa’idu; Jafaru Sani; Ubaidullah Mohammed (aka 30); Nasiru Maikano; Aminu Abita; and Ahmed Rufa’i Hussaini (aka Mikiya).

ADC North-West Vice Chairman, Jafaru Sani, confirmed to Daily Trust that most of those invited first learned of the summons through social media.

El-Rufai, who was at the venue to inaugurate a coalition transition committee, accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of orchestrating the attack.

It was also observed that most of those invited by the police did not show up.

One of them, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Our lawyers were there; we didn’t go,” and declined further comment.

However, a legal expert faulted El-Rufai for failing to appear personally before the police.

Kaduna-based lawyer, Barrister El-Zubair Abubakar, said: “I believe it is legally wrong. Crimes like this, or accusations, are personal to the person accused. He is the only one who can give explanations to the police. His legal team cannot explain away those issues.

“So, the correct thing for his legal team would have been to say, ‘Sir, let’s go together so that we can accompany you.’ Once he goes there and makes his statement, the next step, if the police feel they have an issue with him, is to grant him bail so that they can continue their investigation if necessary and take him to court for prosecution.

“If they feel that there’s no case against him, then they can simply ask him to go home and conduct himself properly. So, the right thing for him would have been to go there with his legal team. I think it is wrong that he did not do so,” he said.

APC denies involvement in attacks

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna denied any involvement in the attack on the ADC meeting.

The APC Secretary in Kaduna, Yahaya Baba-Pate, told Daily Trust: “APC is a law-abiding political party. We don’t engage in thuggery and we don’t support thuggery. We believe in the tenets of democracy. We can never belittle ourselves by engaging in such an unlawful act.”

He further argued that there was no real opposition in Kaduna because Governor Uba Sani was delivering on his campaign promises in education, health, infrastructure, rural development, security, and inclusiveness.

Our correspondent, who was at the police command, observed the presence of armed policemen stationed at various locations leading to the police headquarters. Most of the officers were seated in their vehicles, keeping watch on the road. (Daily Trust)