Retired Kaduna workers arrested for praying against El-Rufai’s re-election

No fewer than eight retired workers in Kaduna State have been arrested for allegedly organising Islamic prayers against Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s reelection.

The retired workers claimed they were not paid their entitlements after being disengaged by the Kaduna State government.Known as “Alqunuci”, the Islamic prayer is said to be powerful and is invoked by those seeking justice.Emmanuel Dogo, leader of Kaduna State Retired Workers Forum, alleged that el-Rufai, ordered the arrest of his colleagues.

Dogo said the retirees resorted to the prayer because they could no longer cater for their families, saying that all efforts to make the government pay our entitlements had proved abortive, so what we do is to pray for God’s intervention”.

“It is because of these prayers that the governor ordered for the arrest of eight of our members in Zaria. They were asked to report to Kaduna state police command.

“We were later taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and were detained. We have been to the State CID trying to find out what their offences were, but they told us that they will charge them to court.”

When contacted, Alice Ayuba, chairperson of Kaduna State Disengaged Women Teachers Forum, said both Muslims and Christians who were sacked and not paid, constituted the prayer groups. Ayuba who said they have been praying for God’s intervention, added that the retired workers used to hold prayer programmes and according to what I heard, in Zaria, where our Muslim brothers were praying, the governor ordered for their arrest, because they were saying the Muslim prayers called ‘Alqunuci’,” she said.

“I am not a Muslim, but I was told that it was powerful prayers that are usually offered there. Like me that I am talking to you, I served the government for 16 years. I was sacked without being given anything. I am the chairperson of Disengaged Women Teachers Forum, Kaduna state, while those who were arrested belong to the Kaduna State Retired Workers forum.

“But we work hard because we are pursuing the same goal. Since there is nobody to fight for us, we resorted to present God our challenges, because we believe that only God can fight this injustice for us since the governor is very powerful and nobody can face him. So we have handed everything to God, that is what led to this kind of prayers.”Efforts to get the reaction of Yakubu Sabo, Spokesman of Kaduna State Police Command, and Samuel Aruwan, spokesman of el-Rufai, proved abortive.