Nigeria making no progress under Tinubu, says El-Rufai - Newstrends
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Nigeria making no progress under Tinubu, says El-Rufai

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El-Rufai Demands N10bn Damages from ICPC, Alleges Denial of Family Access During Detention
Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai

Nigeria making no progress under Tinubu, says El-Rufai

A former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of incompetence, nepotism and betrayal of the founding ideals of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

El-Rufai, who recently dumped the APC for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), alleged that Nigeria had been moving backwards since Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023.

He made the allegation during an interview with Deutsche Welle Hausa in Katsina. El-Rufai was in Katsina on Monday, but the video of the interview was released Tuesday.

El-Rufai, once a close ally of President Tinubu and a key figure in the APC’s electoral victories in 2015, 2019 and 2023, now presents himself as one of the fiercest critics of the administration, alleging that what the APC has become is a far cry from what its founders envisioned.

According to the ex-governor, the country is worse off today in terms of insecurity, economy and governance than it was under previous administrations.

‘Country retrogressing’

El-Rufai alleged that the Tinubu-led administration was the most intolerant since the return to democracy in 1999.

He also accused Tinubu’s administration of being insensitive to the plight of ordinary Nigerians.

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“Ever since the assumption of office of Tinubu as Nigeria’s president, the country has begun to go backwards. Insecurity has increased, the economy is dwindling, affluent people are now poor, and ethnic profiling is on the rise.

“Whoever he is giving an appointment to must be someone he knows or from his tribe. They can dismiss that, but Nigerians are not stupid. There is no way your name is this, and they will say no, you are from Katsina,” he stated.

‘APC no longer represents justice, equity’

“This kind of injustice, ethnic profiling, and theft that we are seeing is not what APC was built on. What we planned when we started building APC was a platform for justice, equity, competence, and national integration. But today, we see nothing but sheer injustice, nepotism, and disregard for those ideals,” El-Rufai said.

He explained that those were the reasons behind his decision to join the SDP which he described as a party that would “rescue the masses from injustice.”

“So, whoever his party cheated or did something he felt was not right, the only party he sees is the SDP. So, don’t be surprised by the kind of people you see in this room and others that are not here—we are working together in broad daylight and midnight doing what we should do to strategise in order to salvage our people from what this government has put us through,” he stated.

Responding to concerns that his journey with the SDP could end up like his earlier alliance with the APC, El-Rufai insisted that it was the APC that strayed from its founding ideals, not him.

“I did not leave APC; it’s the party that left me. Since Bola Tinubu became president, the country has started to go backwards. We told them what they are doing is not good, and they are always behaving like nobody can tell them anything.

“Even when they deny the allegation of nepotism, people are not blind or stupid. When they see the names, they know where they come from,” he said.

El-Rufai recalled meeting with APC leaders like Bisi Akande, Adams Oshiomhole and Abdullahi Adamu to tell them that the party had deviated from its founding vision.

“I met with Bisi Akande, Adams Oshiomhole and Abdullahi Adamu, and I asked them if this was what we had planned for the people when we started and registered our party. And they said it has changed.

“So, if it has changed, then should you stay in what you are not okay with? I spoke with leaders that we should come back to the radar, but they shunned us away,” he said.

He said the fact that the APC refused to convene meetings for two years demonstrated the party’s leadership’s disregard for internal democracy and collective decision-making.

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“That is why I said it is the party that left me, so I have to look for a party that shares similarity with the kind of ideology we had when 37 of us signed for the registration of the APC. I am among them. I am a founding father.

“But even if it is a child you gave birth to and he went wayward and you tried your best to bring him back on track and he refused, then you let him be. I have sworn off APC and left it with the world,” he said.

‘Ruling party only remembered Buhari after my defection’

El-Rufai also reacted to the recent visit by APC National Working Committee members to former President Muhammadu Buhari, alleging that it was an afterthought motivated by political desperation.

“Is it not the same Ganduje that called Buhari ‘Habu na Habu’ (a derogatory Hausa name)? Is it now that he knows Buhari is important?

“Since when Buhari left government, how many times did they go to him seeking for a single piece of advice? It is when they heard that I went to Buhari and I left the APC. And I told him before I left. I didn’t go to him to ask him to come to SDP or seek his permission to leave the party—I am 65 years old. I only went to tell him that this party has changed, and I want to leave it.

“Two days later, I left. It was after I left that they remembered that Buhari is important. What took them was that they understood that Atiku Abubakar went with us to pay Sallah homage; that’s all, and they went running at midnight, denying an old man sleep and disturbing him,” he added.

Nigeria making no progress under Tinubu, says El-Rufai

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Woman dies after husband allegedly assaults her over cooking, dance class

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Woman dies after husband allegedly assaults her over cooking, dance class

Woman dies after husband allegedly assaults her over cooking, dance class

A 38-year-old woman, Yamini Krishna Lal Yadav, has died in Nagpur, India, after her husband allegedly assaulted her during an argument over cooking and her decision to attend a dance class.

The woman’s husband, Krishna Lal Yadav, 41, has been arrested and booked in connection with her death after a post-mortem examination reportedly revealed serious internal injuries.

The incident occurred in the Mankapur area of Nagpur, Maharashtra, where the couple lived with their two young children.

According to reports, Krishna returned home from work and asked his wife to prepare food for him and the children. Yamini, however, was reportedly preparing to attend a dance class within their housing society and declined to cook at the time.

The disagreement allegedly escalated into a physical confrontation. Police said the husband was reportedly under the influence of alcohol when he allegedly assaulted Yamini around her neck and abdomen. The incident reportedly occurred in the presence of their children.

After the alleged assault, Yamini complained of severe pain in her neck and abdomen and reportedly asked her husband to get painkillers. He allegedly went to a nearby medical shop but returned after finding it closed.

Her condition later deteriorated, with her abdomen reportedly becoming swollen. She was subsequently taken to a private hospital in the area for treatment but died while receiving medical attention.

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The case initially appeared to be an accidental death, prompting police to send her body for a post-mortem examination.

However, the examination reportedly revealed a fractured neck bone and severe internal injuries, including serious damage to the intestines. Reports also indicated injuries consistent with strangulation and abdominal trauma, prompting investigators to reconsider the circumstances surrounding her death.

Following the post-mortem findings, police questioned Krishna and subsequently arrested him. A murder case was registered against him as investigations continued.

Yamini’s brother reportedly said the family was aware that the couple had experienced disagreements in the past. He said Yamini had occasionally spoken about problems in the marriage but had asked relatives not to intervene because she feared their involvement could worsen the situation.

The family initially believed Yamini had died following a medical emergency and was reportedly shocked when the post-mortem examination revealed evidence of significant physical injuries.

Police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the Nagpur woman, while the accused remains in custody over the allegations.

The case has renewed concerns about domestic violence, particularly the need for victims experiencing abuse to have access to timely support and protection.

Woman dies after husband allegedly assaults her over cooking, dance class

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NSCIA warns FG against weaponising state institutions in El-Rufai case

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Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede
Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede

NSCIA warns FG against weaponising state institutions in El-Rufai case

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs breaks its silence on the former governor’s legal ordeal, citing “serious concerns” over possible sectarian agenda in the multiple prosecutions keeping El-Rufai in the spotlight.

ABUJA – The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has raised the alarm over what it described as “an extraneous involvement of an underlying religious bias” in the ongoing prosecutions of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. The Islamic body, which had deliberately stayed out of the controversy until now, said recent developments had forced it to break its silence on the matter. In a statement signed by its Secretary-General and immediate-past Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, the NSCIA explained that its earlier restraint was based on its belief that El-Rufai’s prosecution, like those involving other political figures, was a standard judicial process and that the judiciary had the inherent capacity to uphold justice. However, the council said recent developments in the public domain had raised serious concerns that strongly suggested religious considerations might be creeping into a process that should be determined solely by law and evidence.

The NSCIA called on the Federal Government and the Judiciary to ensure that individuals with vested religious interests were strictly prevented from weaponising public institutions or the legal system to pursue what it described as a sectarian agenda against El-Rufai. “Consequently, the Council calls upon the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Judiciary to ensure that individuals with vested religious interests are strictly prevented from weaponizing public institutions or the legal system to execute a sectarian agenda against him,” the statement read. The council stressed that its position was anchored on the Islamic principle of justice and fairness, regardless of political, religious or personal considerations, and clarified that its intervention was not intended to interfere with the judicial process but to emphasise the need for justice to be administered without religious or sectarian considerations. The Islamic body also appealed to the general public to refrain from incendiary comments that could prejudice the fair trial of El-Rufai or exacerbate the security situation in the nation. “Furthermore, the Council appeals to the general public to refrain from incendiary comments that could prejudice the fair trial of Mallam El-Rufai or exacerbate the security situation in our nation,” the statement read.

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The NSCIA‘s intervention comes against the backdrop of a protracted legal battle that has kept El-Rufai in the spotlight since February 2026. The former governor is facing multiple prosecutions by different agencies on charges bordering on alleged abuse of office, money laundering, breach of national security, and wiretapping. The council’s decision to speak out followed comments by the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), who accused El-Rufai of planning killings in Southern Kaduna while he was governor between 2015 and 2023. Musa had described the situation in Kaduna during El-Rufai’s administration as “toxic”, adding that many residents of Southern Kaduna remained unhappy with the former governor over killings recorded in the area.

El-Rufai, through his family, rejected the allegation and demanded that the minister withdraw the claim, with his eldest son, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, giving Musa seven days to provide evidence supporting the allegation or publicly retract it. The controversy generated by Musa’s remarks has further widened the debate surrounding El-Rufai’s legal battles, with the NSCIA‘s intervention effectively placing the prosecution within a wider debate over the alleged politicisation and religious manipulation of state institutions. The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has taken a sharply divergent position, backing the Defence Minister’s allegations and demanding an independent investigation into alleged killings and human rights abuses during El-Rufai’s administration, with possible prosecution before the International Criminal Court (ICC). The NSCIA’s intervention, which did not identify any individual or group it accused of pursuing a religious agenda, serves as a significant development in a case that has become a flashpoint for broader debates about judicial independence, political persecution, and religious neutrality in Nigeria’s legal system.

The council concluded its statement by praying for peace, stability and security in Nigeria. “May Almighty Allah grant peace, stability, and security to Nigeria,” it said.

NSCIA warns FG against weaponising state institutions in El-Rufai case

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Bandits abduct Kaduna lawmaker’s brother, kill three KADVS operatives

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Bandits abduct Kaduna lawmaker’s brother, kill three KADVS operatives
Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State, CP Muhammad Rabiu

Bandits abduct Kaduna lawmaker’s brother, kill three KADVS operatives

Suspected bandits have abducted the younger brother of a Kaduna State lawmaker and killed three personnel of the Kaduna State Vigilance Service (KADVS) in separate attacks in Kubau Local Government Area of the state.

The incidents, which occurred within hours of each other, have heightened security concerns in Pambegua and surrounding communities, with the attacks taking place along the Zaria-Pambegua axis before the lawmaker’s brother was abducted from his residence.

The KADVS Public Relations Officer, Yunusa Ibrahim, confirmed the incidents in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Ibrahim identified the abducted victim as Sanusi, the younger brother of Shehu Pambegua, who represents Kubau Constituency in the Kaduna State House of Assembly.

According to the KADVS spokesman, the suspected attackers arrived at Sanusi’s residence in a Sharon vehicle at about 10pm on Monday and forcibly took him away.

The abduction came after three KADVS personnel were killed earlier in the day while carrying out a routine security operation in the area.

The deceased personnel were identified as Dallami Dantani, the Second-in-Command of KADVS in Kubau, Abdullahi Hamisu and Zakariyya Musa.

Ibrahim said the incident began when the vigilantes attempted to stop a red Volkswagen Golf Salon during a routine check, but the driver allegedly refused to comply.

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The KADVS personnel reportedly pursued the vehicle in their patrol van in an effort to identify the occupants and establish why they were travelling through the area.

The occupants allegedly opened fire during the pursuit, killing Dantani.

The attackers reportedly turned back towards the KADVS office after the initial shooting and opened fire on the personnel there, killing Hamisu and Musa before escaping towards Zaria.

The killings occurred hours before Sanusi was reportedly abducted from his residence, creating renewed anxiety among residents and security personnel in the area.

Reacting to the deaths, the Kaduna State Commander of KADVS, CP Ali Audu (rtd.), condoled with the families of the three personnel and described their deaths as a major loss to the service.

Audu praised the deceased personnel for their courage and commitment to duty, assuring their families that their sacrifices would be remembered.

He also pledged the continued support of the service to the bereaved families.

The KADVS commander disclosed that security surveillance had been intensified in Pambegua and neighbouring communities as efforts continued to locate the abducted victim and identify those responsible for the attacks.

He urged KADVS personnel to remain vigilant while carrying out their duties and strengthen collaboration with other security agencies, particularly in communities regarded as vulnerable to bandit attacks and kidnapping.

Audu reaffirmed the service’s commitment to protecting residents and property across Kaduna State.

As of the latest reports, authorities have not announced the arrest of any suspect or the rescue of Sanusi. The circumstances surrounding his abduction remain under investigation as security agencies intensify efforts to locate him and bring those responsible for the attacks to justice.

The latest incidents have further underscored the security challenges facing parts of Kaduna State, where residents have continued to contend with threats linked to banditry, kidnapping and armed attacks.

Bandits abduct Kaduna lawmaker’s brother, kill three KADVS operatives

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