Ambassador-designate, Reno Omokri, beams on El-Rufai’s ‘contentious record’ amid airport drama

Ambassador-designate Reno Omokri has highlighted the contentious record of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, weighing in on the controversy currently surrounding his person.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Omokri recounted El-Rufai’s eight-year tenure, citing instances of alleged human rights abuses, suppression of dissent, and demolition of properties belonging to critics.

He shared a disturbing photo of Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, who was allegedly reduced to a “barbaric and pathetic state” under El-Rufai’s governorship. Omokri claimed that 347 Shia Muslims, including women, children, and infants, were killed during this period, though other estimates put the death toll at around 1,000.

“In addition to reducing Sheikh Zakzaky to such a barbaric and pathetic state, 347 Shia Muslim men, women, children, and infants were massacred under Nasir el-Rufai,” Omokri wrote.

He also cited the case of Abubakar Idris, a critic who was reportedly abducted and presumed dead, as well as several journalists and activists who were allegedly arrested or forced to flee the country due to El-Rufai’s vendetta.

Omokri further accused El-Rufai of demolishing properties linked to critics, including those belonging to Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi and Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir.

“Nasir el-Rufai arrested multiple journalists and activists for covering him negatively, including Jacob Onjewu Dickson, Segun Onibiyo, Midat Joseph, and Audu Maikori,” he stated.

He noted that Audu Maikori had to escape to the United States, where Omokri met and interviewed him, saying he “shuddered in terror” at what El-Rufai allegedly did to him.

Omokri dismissed El-Rufai’s current claims of persecution, arguing that he is being prosecuted for alleged crimes, including accusations of stealing ₦423 billion during his tenure as governor. He urged El-Rufai to stop “grandstanding” and face the law, emphasizing that no one is above it.

“Nasir el-Rufai is fingered in the alleged theft of ₦423 billion during his tenure by no less a body than the Kaduna State House of Assembly.

He is not above the law or above arrest. He should not resist legal arrest or try to blame others for his alleged crimes,” Omokri wrote.

The post concluded with Omokri’s assertion that El-Rufai’s history of suppressing dissent and committing alleged atrocities should not be ignored, and that he must be held accountable for his actions.

Recall that there was a dramatic incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja involving El-Rufai and the Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday.

Supporters claim security personnel attempted to arrest him upon his arrival from Cairo, but he resisted, citing the absence of a formal invitation or warrant. His international passport was allegedly seized, sparking outrage from bystanders who demanded due process.

El-Rufai’s lawyers have condemned the move as “unlawful” and a “flagrant violation of constitutional rights,” demanding the return of his passport and an apology.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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