El-Rufai Demands ₦10bn from Defence Minister Over Southern Kaduna Killings Allegation

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has demanded ₦10 billion in compensation from the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), over allegations that he “deliberately planned” killings in Southern Kaduna during his tenure as governor.

The demand was contained in an eight-page pre-action letter dated September 7, 2026, issued by El-Rufai’s lawyers, the Chambers of Ubong Akpan, and addressed to Musa at the Federal Ministry of Defence in Abuja. A copy of the letter bears an acknowledgement stamp from the Ministry of Defence dated September 7.

The legal action follows Musa’s appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on September 3, 2026, where he made several allegations concerning El-Rufai’s eight-year administration. When the presenter asked whether people in Southern Kaduna remained unhappy with El-Rufai, the minister replied: “We can never be happy with somebody who deliberately planned for the killing of our people”. When pressed on the gravity of the allegation, Musa responded, “Definitely,” and referred generally to videos and speeches in which he claimed El-Rufai admitted paying bandits. The minister also accused El-Rufai of dividing Kaduna State along regional lines, claiming residents from Southern Kaduna could no longer freely live in the northern part of the state. He alleged that El-Rufai used state power to demolish houses belonging to people with whom he had personal disagreements, and claimed the former governor openly admitted paying bandits during the height of insecurity in the state.

In the pre-action letter, El-Rufai’s lawyers vehemently denied all allegations. They maintained that their client had “never been involved in any offence relating to the deliberate planning of killings in Southern Kaduna,” adding that “no evidence has ever been produced to establish that our Client ‘deliberately planned’ the killing of any person”. On the allegation that El-Rufai paid bandits, the lawyers said the former governor had consistently maintained that he would neither negotiate with nor pay bandits. They also rejected the allegation concerning demolitions, stating that any demolitions carried out during El-Rufai’s tenure were conducted “in accordance with the law and for public purposes”. The lawyers further denied that El-Rufai’s administration divided Kaduna State along ethnic or religious lines, saying his government implemented policies aimed at “promoting unity and development across all parts of the state”. The lawyers stressed that “none of the allegations made by you has been tested, proved or determined by any court of competent jurisdiction,” and demanded strict proof of each claim. They accused Musa of making the allegations from a position of authority as Defence Minister and a retired Nigerian Army general, arguing that “your statements carry particular weight and credibility in the eyes of the public. By making these allegations from such a position of authority, you have caused substantially greater damage to our Client’s reputation than would have been caused by a private individual”.

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Beyond the ₦10bn compensation demand—which the lawyers expressly stated was proposed as a settlement and “is not” damages awarded or agreed by a court—El-Rufai’s lawyers demanded a “prominent, unconditional and unambiguous retraction, correction and apology” on Politics Today, with the same or greater prominence as the original statements. They further demanded that the apology be published in two nationally circulating newspapers, one principally circulating in Northern Nigeria and another principally circulating in Southern Nigeria. The lawyers also demanded the preservation of recordings, transcripts, notes, drafts, communications and source materials relating to Musa’s appearance on the programme, as well as full disclosure of every source, document and report relied upon by the minister. The letter further requested a signed undertaking from Musa not to repeat or republish the allegedly defamatory statements. The Defence Minister was given seven calendar days to provide a substantive written response to the demands, with a 24-hour deadline to acknowledge receipt. The lawyers warned that failure to comply would result in court action seeking declaratory relief, damages, injunctions restraining further publication, preservation and disclosure orders, interest and legal costs.

In a separate statement, the El-Rufai family—signed by Mohammed Bello El-Rufai on behalf of the family—gave the Defence Minister seven days to either provide evidence supporting his allegation or issue a full public retraction and apology. The family described the allegation as “grave” and expressed concern that Musa did not present evidence to support the claim during the television interview. “While General Musa (Rtd.) is entitled to hold and express his personal opinions, the El-Rufai family is equally entitled to demand that such serious allegations be substantiated with credible evidence”. The family warned that failure to meet the demand within the stipulated period would compel it to seek legal redress.

The controversy has drawn reactions from various quarters, with the Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development (CNEEPD) throwing its weight behind the Defence Minister. In a statement signed by Zana Goni (North-East), Dr Mohammed Suleman (North-West) and Prof. John Anaho (North-Central), the group accused El-Rufai’s eight-year administration of leaving behind a legacy of division, controversial policies and alleged maladministration. It argued that the former governor’s record should be subjected to rigorous public scrutiny rather than shielded from criticism because of his political influence or regional identity. “General Christopher Musa did not invent the history of Kaduna State. He spoke about a reality that Nigerians must have the courage to confront,” the coalition said. The Kaduna State Muslim-Christian Network for Good Governance also backed the minister, describing his comments as a reflection of the experiences of residents during El-Rufai’s tenure. The group accused the former administration of implementing policies that deepened divisions, sacking thousands of workers, demolishing markets and homes without adequate compensation, and overseeing the killing of Shiites.

However, religious leaders in Southern Kaduna urged restraint. The Chairman of the Council of Imams, Southern Kaduna, Imam Muhammed Kabir Kasim, described Musa as “an upright man and a top military brass who should not be mistaken for being a politician”. He appealed to the public to exercise restraint, particularly in the use of social media, where statements could easily be taken out of context. “Whatever anybody says, we should always look at the intention and the context. We should not allow social media interpretations to determine our relationship with one another,” he said. Similarly, the Chairman of the JNI, Southern Kaduna/Jema’a, Mallam Garba Alhassan Adamu, said his interactions with Musa had shown him to be concerned about the welfare of all Nigerians. As of press time, the Minister of Defence had not publicly responded to the demands.

El-Rufai Demands ₦10bn from Defence Minister Over Southern Kaduna Killings Allegation