Kaduna politics took another dramatic turn on Monday after former state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, lodged a petition against Commissioner of Police Muhammad Rabiu before the Police Service Commission (PSC).
The petition comes days after the Kaduna Police Command shut down the African Democratic Congress (ADC) secretariat and invited El-Rufai, along with six other ADC leaders, for questioning over alleged conspiracy, incitement, and disturbance of public peace.
In a statement signed by his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai described the commissioner’s actions as “egregiously unlawful,” noting that previous appeals to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had failed to curb the alleged misconduct.
“The duty of all citizens is not only to support the police at every level but also to ensure that the commission is provided opportunities to enforce discipline and promote ethical conduct among officers,” the former governor declared.
He further alleged that certain officers were “serving interests other than those conferred by law,” insisting this eroded public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Although the petition did not reveal detailed evidence, political insiders suggested it was tied to police clampdowns on ADC events, including the controversial closure of the party’s Kaduna office last week.
That same day, security operatives sealed the ADC headquarters just before a solidarity visit from the North-West leadership. The meeting was meant to commiserate with members attacked by suspected thugs during a previous gathering.
El-Rufai later told journalists that the police commissioner cited a court order to justify the action but failed to produce any valid documentation.
“He knows what he’s writing violates the Constitution. We have not seen the court order. It has not been properly served on us,” El-Rufai insisted.
The former governor warned that the matter would not end there, signaling a possible legal showdown at the Supreme Court.
As of Tuesday morning, the Kaduna State Police Command had yet to respond publicly to the petition. Calls to its Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, went unanswered.