Members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state took to the streets in a peaceful protest on Wednesday, converging at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) zonal office in Ilorin, the state capital.
Their aim: to demand the immediate release of former governor Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, who has been detained by the antigraft agency.
Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, who governed the state from 2011 to 2019, has spent three days in EFCC custody following his arrest on Monday over allegations of mismanaging N10 billion state funds.
Protesters, wielding placards adorned with messages of frustration and indignation, expressed outrage over Ahmed’s prolonged detention without being formally charged in court.
Led by the state’s PDP publicity secretary, Olusegun Adewara, demonstrators accused the EFCC of being manipulated by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government to coerce Ahmed into joining the ruling party.
Messages on the placards included: “EFCC should stop being a tool in the hands of Abdulrazaq led-APC”, “Governor Ahmed was very transparent”, “EFCC is not a department in APC, EFCC stop the harassment”, “The opposition cannot be silenced”, “Maigida will not join the APC no matter the persecution”, “EFCC don’t instigate political crisis in Kwara state”, and “No to illegal detention. Respect the rule of law”.
