FORMER minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), to provide evidence backing his allegation that the former governor planned killings in Southern Kaduna or publicly retract the claim.
News Point Nigeria reports that Musa had accused the former governor of taking actions that deepened divisions and contributed to insecurity in Kaduna State during his administration between 2015 and 2023. The Defence Minister made the allegations on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on September 3, where he described the situation in the state under El-Rufai as “toxic.”
The ultimatum was contained in a statement signed by Hon. Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, the eldest son of the former governor, on behalf of the El-Rufai family, demanding that Musa either provide credible evidence to substantiate the allegation or issue a full public retraction and apology through the same medium.
Musa, on Politics Today, described the situation in Kaduna State during El-Rufai’s tenure as “toxic”, arguing that residents of Southern Kaduna remained unhappy with the former governor over the killings recorded in the area during his administration.
“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,” Musa had said during the interview.
When Musa was asked whether the people of Southern Kaduna were still unhappy with the former governor, he said, “If there is anything worse than unhappy. We can never be happy with somebody who has deliberately planned for the killing of our people.”
He also accused El-Rufai of ordering the demolition of houses belonging to people with whom he had personal disagreements.
But in a statement issued on his behalf by his family, the former governor denied the allegation and demanded its retraction.
The statement signed by Mohammed Bello El-Rufai said the family was seriously concerned by comments made by the Defence Minister during a live edition of Politics Today on Channels Television on September 3.
The family described the allegation as grave and said it was made without the presentation of evidence to substantiate the claim.
“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 said.
The family therefore called on the Defence Minister to publicly retract the allegation through the same medium on which it was made.
“The family of Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), former Governor of Kaduna State and Opposition Leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has noted with serious concern the allegations made by General Christopher Musa (Rtd.), Minister of Defence, on 3 September 2026 during a live television broadcast of Politics Today on Channels Television. During the programme, General Musa alleged that Mallam Nasir El-Rufai actively planned killings in Southern Kaduna while serving as Governor of Kaduna State.”
“This grave allegation was made without the presentation of any evidence in support of the claim. 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.
“In the absence of such evidence, we call on him to publicly retract the allegation through the same medium on which it was made. Accordingly, General Musa (Rtd.) is hereby given seven (7) days from the date of this statement to either provide evidence in support of his allegation or issue a full public retraction and apology.
“Failure to do so will leave the family with no option but to pursue all appropriate legal remedies available under the law in response to these unsubstantiated allegations.”
El-Rufai, who previously served as FCT Minister and Kaduna State Governor, is currently an opposition leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).