Says, People Are Questioning Whether This Is Political Persecution
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The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has questioned whether the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai reflects a genuine fight against corruption or a political battle. He said the handling of corruption cases in Nigeria can appear to depend on a suspect’s political connections.
Sanusi raised the concern in an interview with Channels Television at the Lagos presentation of Unexplained Wealth: A Trilogy of Nigerian Financial Law, a three-volume work by lawyer Wahab Shittu, SAN. He argued that stronger enforcement of existing laws was as necessary as any review of those laws.
“You have institutions that are supposed to identify corrupt people and prosecute them. You have courts that are supposed to do it,” he said.
The emir alleged that some people facing corruption charges have had their cases dropped because they belonged to the “right political environment” or had political support. He said such outcomes, alongside other ongoing proceedings, could cause the public to question whether anti-corruption powers were being used consistently.
Citing El-Rufai’s case, Sanusi said the former governor had spent seven months in detention without a conviction. “So people begin to wonder: is this really a fight against corruption or is it a political battle?” he asked. His description of El-Rufai as having been denied bail needs context: courts have granted bail in proceedings involving the former governor, but he has remained in custody amid disputes over the conditions for his release.
El-Rufai faces separate criminal proceedings, including an ICPC case arising from allegations linked to his tenure as Kaduna State governor and an SSS case concerning alleged unlawful recording of telephone conversations. The allegations have not been determined by the courts, and he remains presumed innocent. In the SSS case, the Federal High Court adjourned until October 26 to rule on his application asking to be discharged without entering a defence. TheNigeriaLawyer
Sanusi said the concern went beyond one prosecution. Political leaders, public office holders and the judiciary, he argued, must ensure that anti-corruption laws are used for the purposes for which they were made. He also called for scrutiny of the institutions responsible for enforcing them, warning that political influence could undermine public confidence in the justice system.
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