Supporters of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai were tear-gassed and dispersed by security operatives on Monday as they gathered at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja.
The protesters had converged on the anti-graft agency’s office in solidarity with El-Rufai, who honoured an invitation by the Commission to respond to allegations of multi-billion naira fraud and corruption during his tenure as governor of Kaduna State.
Eyewitnesses said the demonstrators were chanting and demanding transparency in the investigation when security personnel moved in, firing tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd. The situation was brought under control shortly afterwards.
The development comes days after the former governor reportedly narrowly avoided arrest by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport upon his return from Cairo, Egypt.
Speaking in an interview shortly after the airport incident, El-Rufai alleged that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was behind the moves against him.
He said Ribadu was the “brains” behind what he described as his ordeal.
Neither the EFCC nor the Office of the National Security Adviser has issued an official response to the allegations.
Boluwatife Enome
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