Malam Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, has raised an alarm over the alleged abduction of Jafaru Sani, a former Commissioner in his government.

El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna between 2015 and 2023 before handing over to Uba Sani, his preferred successor, raised the alarm in a post on his verified Facebook page, on Thursday.

According to him, the former commissioner has been illegally remanded in prison.

El-Rufai said he was convinced that his ally was being witch-hunted for leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

“Our colleague and versatile former commissioner during the El-Rufai Administration – Mallam Jafaru Sani has been abducted in Kaduna by Uba Sani’s kidnapping gang claiming to be the police, this afternoon!
Jafaru was remanded in prison custody by a magistrate without any police first information report or charges by the State Ministry of Justice.

“On inquiry, we have learned that Jafaru is being charged with money laundering – a federal offense that neither the State Judiciary or even the Police have jurisdiction to adjudicate or investigate. Jafaru’s real crime is his resignation from the APC, and joining the SDP – and having been proposed by he as the replacement ministerial nominee representing Kaduna State in August 2023.
The tactics are similar to those used against another colleague of ours – Bashir Saidu when he was abducted on the 31st of December, 2024, and kept in captivity for 50 days before he was released on bail!

“The ignominious role of some henpecked and compromised magistrates and high court judges in the Kaduna State judiciary remains a source of great concern to us. We are watching and waiting as no condition is permanent, and there will be accountability for all decisions and actions, one day, soon.”

The Kaduna government is yet to respond to the allegations of El-Rufai.