El-Rufai Demands ₦10bn, Apology From Defence Minister Over Killing Allegations

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has demanded ₦10 billion in compensation and an apology from Defence Minister Christopher Musa over allegations linking him to killings in Southern Kaduna during his tenure.

El-Rufai’s solicitors, The Chambers of Ubong Akpan, made the demand in a September 7 letter before action delivered to the Ministry of Defence. The lawyers said the ₦10 billion figure was proposed as a settlement for alleged reputational damage and distress, stressing that it was neither court-awarded nor agreed damages.

The dispute followed Musa’s appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on September 3, where he made several claims concerning the former governor’s conduct while in office.

According to the lawyers, the minister alleged that El-Rufai deliberately planned killings in Southern Kaduna, expressed pride in his actions and paid bandits a ransom to armed groups operating in the state.

The solicitors further alleged that Musa claimed the former governor deployed bulldozers to demolish properties belonging to individuals with whom he had personal disagreements. They also referenced the minister’s comments concerning the Senate’s decision to bar El-Rufai from public appointments for 10 years.

El-Rufai’s legal team rejected the allegations, describing them as false, defamatory and recklessly made. They argued that Musa’s position as a serving minister and retired army general gave the statements additional weight because of his presumed access to security information.

The lawyers demanded a written apology, disclosure of evidence supporting the claims and an undertaking that the allegations would not be repeated without sufficient legal justification and evidence. They also requested preservation of recordings, transcripts, notes, correspondence and other materials connected with the television interview.

The solicitors warned that failure to provide a satisfactory response within the stipulated period could result in defamation proceedings seeking damages and injunctive relief.

However, the controversy requires a distinction between Musa’s allegations and documented statements previously made by El-Rufai.

In 2016, while serving as governor, El-Rufai acknowledged that his administration had contacted Fulani groups from neighbouring West African countries following attacks and reprisals associated with the 2011 post-election violence.

He explained at the time that some groups demanded compensation for cattle they claimed to have lost, and that payments were made as part of efforts to prevent further violence.

Those remarks establish that compensation payments were made during his administration. However, they do not independently prove the separate allegation that El-Rufai deliberately planned killings in Southern Kaduna.

The latest legal demand therefore sets the stage for a potential court battle over the accuracy, context and evidentiary basis of the minister’s claims.