Ogona Anita
NASIRIYYA MOVEMENT ASKS MAL. NASIR EL RUFAI TO REFUND WHAT HE TOOK FROM KADUNA STATE OR FACE WROUGHT OF THE LAW
By Felix A Sha’adu
The entire women group led by their leader Garkuwa Ibrahim Babuga came to the Kaduna State SECRETARIAT of the NUJ on 26th February, 2026 with placards to show solidarity to Governor Senator Uba Sani and to protest against the immediate past governor Mal. NASIR EL RUFAI asking him to immediately refund the money he took while he served the state as governor or face the wrought of the law.
While commending the current governor especially appreciating him for the projects and state development efforts he is currently embarking upon to make Kaduna State an enviable state. The peaceful atmosphere in the state being commendable.
This protest is following the detention of the immediate past governor Mal Nasir El-Rufai by the ICPC and his quizing by EFCC. Though released on bail his case is scheduled to come up in April 2026.
What came as a major shock to many residents of Kaduna on Thursday day afternoon was the appearance of this group of women and youths, numbering about 200, who staged a protest in support of the anti-graft agencies over the arrest and detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over alleged misappropriation of public funds while in office.
During the protest, the demonstrators displayed various placards bearing inscriptions such as: “Kudos to anti-graft agencies EFCC and ICPC for interrogating El-Rufai,” “Kaduna State House of Assembly deserves commendation for indicting El-Rufai over alleged misappropriation of public funds,” and “Kaduna State Government should prosecute El-Rufai for siphoning public funds while in office.”
Speaking to journalists at the NUJ Secretariat, the group’s leader and President of the Nasiriyya movement, Babuga, alleged that El-Rufai misappropriated over ₦400 billion belonging to the Kaduna State Government during his time in office.
He urged the anti-graft agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to compel the former governor to refund the money, which he described as the collective wealth of Kaduna citizens.
Babuga stated that the protest was organized to express the group’s full support for the administrations of Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he said are committed to moving the country forward.
He further warned that if decisive action is not taken against the former governor, the Nasiriyya Movement would have no option but to mobilize its members to march on foot to the offices of the anti-graft agencies in Abuja to demand prompt action.
