Former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Defence Minister Christopher Musa, demanding N10 billion and a public apology over comments he says falsely portrayed him as a murderer, bandit sponsor and abuser of power. El-Rufai’s lawyers communicated the demands in a letter before action dated September 7 and sent to Musa […]
Former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Defence Minister Christopher Musa, demanding N10 billion and a public apology over comments he says falsely portrayed him as a murderer, bandit sponsor and abuser of power.
El-Rufai’s lawyers communicated the demands in a letter before action dated September 7 and sent to Musa at the Federal Ministry of Defence in Abuja.
The dispute stems from the minister’s September 3 appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, during which Musa spoke about insecurity in Kaduna and made statements concerning the former governor.
Among the remarks attributed to Musa was an allegation that El-Rufai had deliberately planned the killing of people. The minister was also quoted as saying El-Rufai told them he had paid bandits and alleging that he used a bulldozer to demolish someone’s house.
But El-Rufai’s lawyers have rejected the allegations in their entirety, arguing that the statements were defamatory and had the potential to severely damage the former governor’s standing in the eyes of the public.
According to the legal team, the combined effect of Musa’s comments was to portray El-Rufai as “a criminal, a murderer, a sponsor of banditry” and a person of extremely poor character.
The lawyers are consequently demanding N10 billion for the alleged injury to El-Rufai’s reputation, distress and inconvenience. They specifically clarified that the figure is a demand for compensation and settlement and does not represent damages awarded by a court.
They also want Musa to issue an unconditional retraction, correction and public apology on Politics Today, with prominence equal to or greater than that given to the original allegations. The legal team further requested that the apology be published in two national newspapers covering the Northern and Southern parts of the country.
Responding to the allegation that El-Rufai planned killings in Southern Kaduna, the lawyers said their client had never participated in any offence involving the deliberate planning of killings and insisted that no evidence had been presented to substantiate the claim.
They also disputed the claim that El-Rufai paid bandits, saying the former governor had repeatedly maintained that he would not negotiate with or financially support bandits. His lawyers equally defended demolitions carried out during his administration, saying the exercises were conducted lawfully and for public purposes.
The former governor’s team also rejected suggestions that his administration promoted ethnic or religious division in Kaduna, maintaining that its policies were designed to foster unity and development.
The lawyers said the allegations had not been established by any competent court and demanded strict proof from the Defence Minister. They further argued that Musa’s authority as a serving minister and retired senior military officer made the alleged statements particularly influential.
El-Rufai’s lawyers have also asked Musa to preserve all recordings, transcripts, notes, communications, drafts and other materials connected to the television interview. They want the sources and documents allegedly relied upon by the minister to be disclosed.
If Musa fails to meet the demands within seven calendar days of receiving the letter, the lawyers said El-Rufai could commence legal proceedings seeking damages, declarations, injunctions, preservation and disclosure orders, interest and legal costs.
Amid the dispute, Muslim and Christian leaders in Southern Kaduna have appealed for calm. At a joint meeting in Kafanchan, Imam Muhammed Kabir Kasim urged restraint and dialogue, warning against allowing the controversy to deepen religious or regional tensions.
Kasim defended Musa as “an upright man and a top military brass who should not be mistaken for being a politician” and appealed to Nigerians, particularly social media users, to avoid inflaming the situation.