Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has threatened to sue Defence Minister Christopher Musa over comments allegedly linking him to killings and banditry in Southern Kaduna during his tenure as governor.
El-Rufai, through his solicitors, The Chambers of Ubong Akpan, is demanding N10 billion in compensation and has given the minister seven days to retract the allegations and apologise.
The demand was contained in a letter before action dated September 7, 2026, which was received by the Ministry of Defence on the same day.
The letter followed Musa’s appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on September 3, where, according to El-Rufai’s lawyers, the minister made several allegations concerning the former governor’s conduct while in office.
The lawyers alleged that Musa accused El-Rufai of deliberately planning the killing of people in Southern Kaduna, being proud of the alleged actions and paying bandits and ransom to armed groups operating in the state.
They also said the minister alleged that El-Rufai used bulldozers to demolish the homes of individuals with whom he had personal disagreements.
El-Rufai’s legal team described the allegations as false, defamatory and reckless, arguing that they portrayed their client as a criminal, murderer and sponsor of banditry.
The lawyers further contended that Musa’s status as a serving member of the Federal Executive Council and retired army general gave the allegations additional weight in the eyes of the public.
The letter also referred to ongoing criminal proceedings involving El-Rufai before the Federal High Court and the High Courts of the Federal Capital Territory and Kaduna State.
According to the solicitors, the statements could undermine the former governor’s constitutional right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
As part of the demands, the lawyers want Musa to issue an unconditional retraction and apology on Politics Today and publish the same in two national newspapers.
They are also demanding that the minister disclose the sources and documents supporting his allegations and sign an undertaking not to repeat the statements.
Musa was given seven calendar days from the date he received the letter to comply.
Should he fail to do so, El-Rufai’s lawyers said they would commence legal proceedings seeking declaratory reliefs, damages and injunctions preventing further publication of the allegations.
The former governor’s family separately challenged the defence minister to substantiate the claim that El-Rufai actively planned killings in Southern Kaduna.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by Mohammed Bello El-Rufai on behalf of the family, the allegation was described as “grave and unsubstantiated.”
The family also gave Musa seven days to provide evidence supporting the claim or issue a full public retraction and apology.
It warned that failure to meet the demand would leave the family with “no option” but to pursue legal remedies.
The Ministry of Defence and Musa had not publicly responded to the demands as of the time of filing this report.
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