RismadarVoice Reporters
September 8, 2026
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has demanded ₦10 billion in compensation and a public apology from the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, over alleged defamatory comments made about him during a television programme.
Mr El-Rufai’s demand was contained in a letter before action dated 7 September 2026 and issued by his lawyers, Chambers of Ubong Akpan.
The letter was addressed to Mr Musa at the Federal Ministry of Defence in Abuja.
The demand followed the minister’s appearance on national television on 3 September, during which he discussed insecurity in Kaduna State and made comments concerning the former governor.
According to the letter, Mr Musa said: “We can never be happy with somebody who has deliberately planned for the killing of our people.”
The minister was also quoted as saying of Mr El-Rufai: “He told us he paid bandits,” and “The next thing he sends a bulldozer to bulldoze your house down. He’s done it.”
Mr El-Rufai’s lawyers described the statements as false and defamatory, arguing that they portrayed their client as someone who deliberately planned killings, sponsored banditry and victimised people through the demolition of properties.
The lawyers said the statements, taken together, portrayed their client as “a criminal, a murderer, a sponsor of banditry, and a person of the most base and depraved character.”
They demanded ₦10 billion as compensation for what they described as damage to Mr El-Rufai’s reputation, as well as the distress and inconvenience allegedly caused by the statements.
The lawyers clarified that the ₦10 billion was a demand for compensation and settlement and was not an award of damages by any court.
The former governor’s legal team also demanded what it described as a “prominent, unconditional and unambiguous retraction, correction and apology” from Mr Musa.
They requested that the apology be made in public with the same or greater prominence given to the original statements.
The lawyers further demanded that the apology be published in two nationally circulating newspapers, including one with significant circulation in Northern Nigeria and another in Southern Nigeria.
On the allegation that Mr El-Rufai deliberately planned killings in Southern Kaduna, the lawyers said their client had “never been involved in any offence relating to the deliberate planning of killings,” and challenged the minister to provide evidence supporting the claim.
They also rejected the allegation that Mr El-Rufai paid bandits, saying the former governor had consistently maintained that he would neither negotiate with nor pay bandits.
On demolitions carried out during Mr El-Rufai’s tenure as governor, the lawyers said the actions were undertaken “in accordance with the law and for public purposes.”
They also rejected claims that the former governor’s administration divided Kaduna State along ethnic or religious lines, maintaining that his government pursued policies intended to promote unity and development.
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 the claims.
They also argued that the statements carried significant weight because they were made by Mr Musa in his capacity as Defence Minister and a retired senior military officer.
Mr El-Rufai’s legal team demanded the preservation of recordings, transcripts, notes, communications, drafts and other materials relating to the minister’s television appearance.
They also requested disclosure of the sources and documents relied upon by Mr Musa in making the allegations.
The minister was given seven calendar days from effective receipt of the letter to comply with the demands.
The lawyers warned that failure to comply could result in legal proceedings in which Mr El-Rufai would seek declaratory relief, damages, injunctions against further publication, preservation and disclosure orders, interest and legal costs.
Meanwhile, Muslim and Christian leaders in Southern Kaduna, under the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), have called for restraint and dialogue over the controversy.
Speaking at a joint peace meeting in Kafanchan, Chairman of the Council of Imams, Southern Kaduna, Imam Muhammed Kabir Kasim, urged Nigerians to consider the context of the minister’s comments and avoid using the dispute to heighten religious or regional tensions.
Mr Kasim described Mr Musa as “an upright man and a top military brass who should not be mistaken for being a politician.”
He appealed to Nigerians, particularly social media users, to exercise restraint and avoid actions capable of worsening tensions surrounding the controversy.
