El Rufai Drags Kaduna Police Commissioner Over Misconduct Claims

Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai has petitioned the Police Service Commission against the state Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Rabiu, accusing him of abuse of office and unprofessional conduct.

The petition deepens the friction between the Kaduna leadership of the African Democratic Congress and the police command, which has been marked by raids, arrests, and allegations of bias.

Last week, police sealed the ADC secretariat in Kaduna and later invited El-Rufai and other party leaders for questioning over alleged incitement, conspiracy, and public disturbance. The action followed earlier attacks on ADC members by political thugs, which the party claims were ignored by the police.

Rather than appear for questioning, El-Rufai escalated the matter to the commission, saying earlier complaints to the Inspector-General of Police had not curbed what he described as unlawful actions by officers under Rabiu’s watch.

Through his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, the former governor accused the police command of misconduct since Rabiu assumed office in December 2024. He argued that some officers were serving interests outside the law, which in his view has damaged public trust in the force.

El-Rufai insisted that the police must be held accountable to the values of discipline and ethical conduct as outlined in the Police Act, warning that unchecked behaviour by senior officers threatens both the image of the institution and public confidence in its leadership.

Although the details of his petition were not disclosed, allies suggested it was linked to recent police actions in Kaduna that allegedly targeted some of his associates.

The Kaduna police command has not yet issued an official response to the petition. Attempts to reach the command’s spokesperson, DSP Mansir Hassan, were unsuccessful.