7,000 people have signed a petition asking EU, UK to bar Governor El-Rufai

At least 7,000 people have signed a petition calling on the United Kingdom and the European Union to bar the Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai

The petition, which was initiated by a former Presidential aide, Reno Omokri, on Tuesday, was addressed to the UK Parliament, the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson; Council of the European Union and the European Parliament.

The petition hosted on Change.Org showed had hit 7,000 as of 11.15 am on Wednesday.

Omokri accused el-Rufai of being a threat to the peace and security of Nigeria for many reasons.

He noted that on December 3, 2016, the governor admitted that he paid herdsmen who had been accused of killing several persons.

“Since that admission, there has been an intense escalation of the killings of mostly Christians in Kaduna, and on August 25, 2020, suspected herdsmen abducted seven schoolchildren and their teacher from Prince Academy, in Kaduna. They have not been seen or heard of since then,” Omokri said.

Omokri, who was a social media aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, said el-Rufai on January 27, 2013, insulted Jesus Christ on Twitter

The petition further read, “On February 6, 2019, he threatened foreign observers, including observers from the EU and UK with death, warning that they would return in body bags should they intervene in Nigeria.

“On July 15, 2012, Nasir El-Rufai said, and I quote ‘We will write this for all to read. Anyone, soldier or not that kills the Fulani takes a loan repayable one day no matter how long it takes.’ This threat has been carried out in Southern Kaduna where there is an ongoing genocide of Christians under el-Rufai’s watch.” Omokri wrote.

Reno’s call for a UK ban is coming on the heels of former senate president Bukola Saraki asking the United Kingdom and the European Union to take a cue from the United States and place a visa ban on election riggers in Nigeria. According to him, “this is necessary to send the right and strong signal that those who undermine democracy in Nigeria are enemies of the rest of the democratic world.”