Many people took to the streets of Kano in protest on Thursday as the Kano State House of Assembly began its investigation into a bribery allegation against Governor Abdullahi Ganduje with the Publisher of Daily Nigeria appearing before its investigative committee.

Daily Nigeria had published the video clip, which went viral, allegedly showing the governor receiving a bribe.

Although the governor denied the allegation, the Assembly had on October 15 set up a seven-man investigative committee to probe the claim.

The committee began its sitting on Thursday with the publisher, Jafar Jafar, who was invited to provide details about the video, appearing before it.

Jafar told the committee that he is not the originator of the leaked video.

According to him, the video was obtained from a whistleblower two years ago.

He, however, declined to reveal the name of the person who gave him the video.

Although security was beefed up at the Assembly for the session and the publisher was escorted by security personnel from the Aminu Kano International Airport to the Assembly complex, ensuring the probe proceeded as planned, protests greeted the move on the streets of Kano.

Some of the protesters expressed support for Governor Ganduje, others were on the streets for Jafar Jafar.

Those in support of the governor said that the publication of the video amounted to an invasion of the Governor’s constitutionally protected privacy, while others believed that the leaked footage is an act of investigative journalism.

The Chairman of the committee, Mr Baffa Babba, however, called for calm, saying the footage would be reviewed by an independent investigator, and the findings made public.

Jafar Jafar had arrived at the Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano after 11 am.

He and his lawyers were received by the Public Relations Officer of the Kano Police Command, Magaji Majia, before they proceeded to the Assembly where he is expected to prove to the Committee that the video is genuine.