A coalition of northern groups and some associates of the former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has called for an immediate investigation into an alleged plot to harm him while he is in detention. The call was made at a news conference in Abuja.
The group condemned the continued detention of the former governor, citing what they described as harsh bail conditions imposed by the court. According to them, he has been held for more than a hundred days under conditions that many legal minds consider punitive rather than protective of the judicial process.
The coalition also asked the authorities to guarantee the safety and the medical care of the former governor while his case remains before the courts.
Central to their demand was a public allegation made by a political commentator, Timmy Frank, who claimed that there was a plot within the security circle to poison El-Rufai.
On the basis of that allegation, the group said the federal government must immediately carry out an independent and thorough investigation and make its findings public, while ensuring the former governor's safety.
The coalition further urged the court to urgently review the current bail conditions imposed on El-Rufai and to grant him reasonable bail in accordance with the law, stressing that the allegations they raised should be properly verified by the authorities.