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

No US Case Against Tinubu, Family Enjoy Unimpeded Transit for UNGA — Ambassador Ibrahim

Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, has declared that President Bola Tinubu and members of his family enjoy unimpeded transit in the United States and cannot be arrested while attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

Ibrahim, who also chairs the United Nations Committee on Budget and Administration, made the clarification in a statement issued on Sunday by the Office of Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, amid renewed online campaigns speculating about possible legal action against the Nigerian leader during his planned participation in the 81st session of the UNGA. The envoy said the Nigerian Mission in New York had received no notification from the United States government indicating that Tinubu would face any restriction on his movement during the General Assembly.

Citing Section 11 of the 1947 United Nations–United States Headquarters Agreement, Ibrahim explained that representatives of UN member states and members of their families are protected from impediments to transit to and from the UN headquarters district. He said the provision requires US federal, state and local authorities to refrain from imposing restrictions on the movement of representatives of member states, their families, UN officials, specialised agencies and persons invited to the headquarters district on official business. According to the envoy, the protection under the agreement covers representatives irrespective of the relations existing between their governments and the United States government.

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Ibrahim stressed that an allegation does not constitute a crime, insisting that criminal accusations must be established through due process and proved beyond reasonable doubt before conviction. He added that where a conviction cannot be secured in a sensitive criminal matter, the consequences could include substantial compensation. The envoy also dismissed social media efforts to criminalise Tinubu or secure his arrest, saying such efforts would ultimately prove futile. “Social media cannot criminalise or arrest President Bola Tinubu, no matter how much the opposition invested in it; those efforts will only end as an exercise in futility. He has immunity from arrest in the US during UNGA,” Ibrahim said.

Ibrahim noted that attendance at the UNGA is ultimately a matter of national priority, but said countries could delegate representation when necessary. According to him, more than 60 per cent of the current speaking list comprises vice presidents and foreign ministers representing their respective countries, demonstrating that heads of government were not required to personally attend every UNGA engagement. The ambassador explained that member states of the United Nations are invited to participate in the high-level event, rather than individual leaders being invited in their personal capacities.

Ibrahim recalled that a former Nigerian president—whom he stressed was not Tinubu—was once restricted to a 10-kilometre radius from the UN headquarters in connection with a drug-related allegation. He said the allegation was never proved, adding that while US law-enforcement authorities may invite individuals to provide information during investigations and collect identifying details—including personal and family history, educational records and fingerprints—such procedures do not amount to arrest or conviction. The envoy explained that information gathered in such investigations may be used to establish links between individuals, groups and networks, particularly in cases involving alleged financial and other criminal offences. He noted that such personal information is protected and is not necessarily made public by investigating agencies.

Ibrahim’s intervention comes amid renewed public debate and online campaigns over President Tinubu’s planned participation at the 2026 UN General Assembly in New York, with discussions centred on claims that the Nigerian president could face arrest in the United States over historical allegations. Nigerian officials have repeatedly maintained that no U.S. court has convicted President Tinubu of any criminal offence. The envoy urged Nigerians to continue to hold the national flag in high esteem and support what he described as the economic transformation being pursued under the Tinubu administration.

No US Case Against Tinubu, Family Enjoy Unimpeded Transit for UNGA — Ambassador Ibrahim

EFCC arraigns man over alleged N700m fraud, Ravenpay 2FA breach

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Osaretin Osagiede before the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja over an alleged N700 million fraud involving Best Start Micro Finance Bank.

Osagiede was arraigned on Friday, September 4, 2026, by the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 before Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi on a three-count charge bordering on unauthorised access to computer material and receiving stolen property.

The EFCC alleged that Osagiede committed the offences alongside Zacharia Lorshe, who is currently at large.

According to the anti-graft agency, the alleged offences occurred in Lagos between March 2025 and January 2026, when Osagiede and Lorshe allegedly bypassed the two-factor authentication (2FA) system on Ravenpay user accounts to gain unauthorised access to banking data.

The commission alleged that the security measure was deliberately bypassed with the intention of obtaining unauthorised access to the bank’s data.

One of the charges stated that Osagiede and Lorshe allegedly caused the Ravenpay accounts’ 2FA authentication method to be bypassed to secure unauthorised access to the bank’s data.

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The alleged offence was said to contravene Section 387 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

Another count alleged that Osagiede and Lorshe dishonestly received N700 million belonging to Best Start Micro Finance Bank, despite allegedly having reason to believe that the money was stolen.

The alleged offence was said to contravene Sections 411 and 328(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

When the charges were read to him, Osagiede pleaded not guilty.

Following his plea, prosecution counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa, urged the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending the hearing of his bail application.

Justice Ogunjobi subsequently ordered that Osagiede be remanded in a correctional facility and adjourned the case until September 16, 2026, for hearing of his bail application.

The latest case centres on allegations of unauthorised access to computer material, the alleged bypassing of Ravenpay’s two-factor authentication system, and the alleged receipt of N700 million belonging to Best Start Micro Finance Bank.

The allegations against Osagiede have not been proven in court. He remains presumed innocent until proven guilty.

EFCC arraigns man over alleged N700m fraud, Ravenpay 2FA breach