By James Adamu
The family of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd.), demanding either credible evidence to substantiate allegations made against the former governor or a full public retraction and apology.
The ultimatum follows comments made by General Musa during a live broadcast of Politics Today on Channels Television on September 3, 2026, in which he accused El-Rufai of actively planning killings in Southern Kaduna during his tenure as governor.
During the programme, General Musa did not hold back in his criticism of the former governor. He alleged that El-Rufai bore direct responsibility for violence in the region, stating:
“We can never be happy with somebody who has deliberately planned for the killing of our people.”
The Defence Minister further accused El-Rufai of deepening ethnic and religious divisions in Kaduna State, claiming:
“El-Rufai did a lot of terrible things in Kaduna State. He divided the state into two. In that, if you are from the south, you cannot go to the north to live.”
General Musa also referenced El-Rufai’s public admissions regarding security matters, saying:
“Look at his videos and his speeches, he was very proud of what he did. He told us he paid bandits; he told us he did this and that. He didn’t hide it. He was arrogant enough to come out and tell people that this was what he did.”
When asked whether the people of Southern Kaduna view El-Rufai as an enemy, Musa responded:
“No. Because of our upbringing, we don’t look at anybody that way. We just feel he is misguided.”
He described the atmosphere in Kaduna State under El-Rufai’s leadership as deeply troubled, adding:
“We know how it was when El-Rufai was there—it was toxic.”
Contrasting the former governor’s tenure with the current administration, Musa said:
“But Governor Uba Sani, within one year, has been able to dissolve all that. Now everybody is free; everybody has a say.”
El-Rufai Family’s Response
In a statement released on September 7, 2026, the El-Rufai family and signed by Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, who issued it on behalf of the family, the family expressed serious concern over what they described as grave allegations presented without any supporting evidence.
“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 statement read.
The family has given the Defence Minister until September 14, 2026, to either produce evidence backing his claim or issue a public retraction and apology through the same medium on which the original statement was made.
The statement further warned that failure to comply would leave the family with no alternative but to pursue all available legal remedies against the unsubstantiated allegations.
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