El-Rufai controversy deepens as NSCIA alleges religious bias, MBF demands ICC probe

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja and Noah Ebije, Kaduna

Controversy surrounding former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has deepened, with the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) raising the alarm over alleged religious bias in his ongoing prosecution, while the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) demanded an independent investigation into alleged killings and human rights abuses during his eight-year administration and possible prosecution before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The two influential bodies took sharply divergent positions yesterday, with the NSCIA warning the Federal Government and the Judiciary against allowing persons with “vested religious interests” to weaponise public institutions and the legal system against El-Rufai, while the MBF backed Defence Minister, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), over his allegation that the former governor “deliberately planned” the killing of people in Kaduna State.

While the NSCIA said recent developments surrounding El-Rufai’s prosecution for alleged corruption and other offences suggested the possible intrusion of an “underlying religious bias,” the MBF insisted that allegations arising from killings, banditry and human rights abuses recorded in Kaduna during his administration deserved independent investigation rather than dismissal as political rhetoric.

The positions further widened the controversy generated by Musa’s remarks during a television appearance on September 3, when he said: “We can never be happy with somebody who has deliberately planned for the killing of our people.”

El-Rufai’s family had subsequently given the Defence Minister seven days to substantiate the allegation with credible evidence or publicly retract it and apologise.

The NSCIA, in a statement by its Secretary-General, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said it had previously refrained from commenting on El-Rufai’s prosecution because it regarded the matter as a normal judicial process and trusted the courts to administer justice.

It said developments in the public domain had, however, raised concerns about what it described as extraneous religious interests in the case.

“The Council calls upon the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Judiciary to ensure that individuals with vested religious interests are strictly prevented from weaponizing public institutions or the legal system to execute a sectarian agenda against him,” Oloyede said.

The Council did not identify the individuals or groups it suspected of pursuing a religious agenda against the former governor.

It nevertheless appealed to Nigerians to exercise restraint in commenting on the case, warning that inflammatory statements could prejudice El-Rufai’s right to a fair trial and aggravate the country’s security challenges.

“Furthermore, the Council appeals to the public to refrain from incendiary comments that could prejudice the fair trial of Mallam El-Rufai or exacerbate the security situation in our nation,” it said.

The Islamic body urged the Federal Government and the Judiciary to ensure that the case was determined strictly according to law and evidence and without religious interference.

It concluded by praying for peace, stability and security in the country.

But in Kaduna, the MBF presented a sharply different perspective, insisting that allegations concerning events during El-Rufai’s administration must be thoroughly investigated.

At a press conference addressed by its national spokesman, Luka Binniyat, the forum said it was speaking not as a mouthpiece for Musa but as a body representing communities that witnessed years of violence in parts of Kaduna State.

“We are here to say that the historical record of Kaduna State under el-Rufai provides enough evidence to support the claims of the retired four-star General.

“The MBF is not a mouthpiece for Gen. Musa. We are speaking as witnesses to what happened in Kaduna State during that period since Southern Kaduna is part of the Middle Belt,” Binniyat said.

The forum called for an independent investigation into allegations surrounding the killings and alleged payments to bandits or other armed groups, saying El-Rufai should be prosecuted before the ICC for crimes against humanity if evidence established culpability.

It acknowledged that Kaduna had experienced communal and religious violence before El-Rufai assumed office in 2015, citing the Kasuwan Magani, Zangon Kataf and College of Education crises, as well as violence associated with the introduction of Sharia and the 2011 presidential election.

The MBF, however, alleged that the pattern of violence changed during El-Rufai’s administration.

“But what changed under el-Rufai was deliberate targeting of peaceful vulnerable rural communities for annihilation which his actions and utterances encouraged,” it alleged.

The forum accused the former administration of failing to adequately protect communities in Southern Kaduna and alleged that community and traditional leaders were sometimes arrested in the aftermath of attacks instead of the perpetrators being apprehended.

It cited the 2016 attack on Goska community in Jema’a Local Government Area, alleging that District Head, Moses Barde, was subsequently arrested.

“Instead of going for the killers, el-Rufai arrested the District Head, Moses Barde and put him in prison,” it alleged.

The group also cited the case of B’Gwam Kurama, Dr. Ishaku Sabo Damina, who it alleged was arrested after handing a suspected criminal over to the military and was subsequently dethroned.

The MBF further referred to the arrest of 15 Atyap leaders in 2021 over allegations concerning the killing of hundreds of cattle, saying the men spent months in detention before being released.

It also revisited the 2019 Kajuru violence, recalling El-Rufai’s announcement shortly before the presidential election that 66 Fulani people had been killed, with the figure subsequently rising.

The forum alleged that the then Kaduna Commissioner of Police, Abdulrahman Ahmad, questioned the figures and accused the governor of pre-empting police investigations.

MBF also referred to the detention of Adara leaders following the violence, including then President of the Adara Development Association, Awemi Dio Maisamari.

It said Maisamari and eight other Adara leaders subsequently secured a N900 million judgment against the government in 2024 after a Federal High Court ruled that their detention was unlawful.

The group listed attacks in Karamai, Ungwan Barde, Inkirimi and Dogonnoma among incidents it said should form part of any investigation.

“The Middle Belt Forum holds el-Rufai responsible for stocking the killing and encouraging the killers by taking no action whatsoever against them,” it alleged.

The MBF also reopened the December 2015 clash between security forces and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria in Zaria.

“When Gen. Musa said, ‘our people’, he meant every victim of el-Rufai’s tyranny that were residents or indigenes of Kaduna State,” it said.

“That includes the Shiite who were murdered in cold blood in December 2015. el-Rufai defended the massacre of the over 1,000 Shiite in Zaria,” the forum alleged.

It further accused the former administration of using curfews in ways that failed to protect vulnerable communities during periods of violence, citing incidents in Goska, Zangon Kataf and Atyap communities.

The forum alleged that more than 200 Atyap women, children and other vulnerable persons were killed during the period, while at least 26 villages were burnt and sacked.

Beyond insecurity, the MBF criticised El-Rufai’s record on public-sector reforms, citing the dismissal of thousands of primary school teachers following a competency test and demolition of homes and businesses.

It argued that the appropriate response to the allegations raised by Musa was an independent investigation rather than threats or political exchanges.

“Gen. Christopher Musa has raised a salient point. The appropriate response is not intimidation, insults or political blackmail. The appropriate response is to investigate the issues and establish the truth.

“The people who lost their parents, children, homes, livelihoods, jobs and communities deserve nothing less,” Binniyat said