Muslim and Christian leaders in Southern Kaduna have called for calm and restraint after a dispute between former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, over comments made about the former governor.
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The religious leaders made the appeal during a joint peace meeting held in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, as El-Rufai moved to take legal action against Musa over alleged defamatory statements.
El-Rufai is demanding N10 billion in compensation and a public apology from the Defence Minister over comments made during Musa’s appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on September 3, 2026.
The demand was contained in a letter before action dated September 7 and issued by El-Rufai’s lawyers, Chambers of Ubong Akpan. The letter was addressed to Musa at the Federal Ministry of Defence in Abuja.
The legal dispute followed Musa’s discussion of insecurity in Kaduna State during the television programme. The minister reportedly made allegations concerning the former governor’s handling of security issues, banditry and demolitions during his administration.
El-Rufai’s lawyers described the allegations as false and defamatory, arguing that they presented their client as someone involved in serious criminal conduct.
The lawyers said the statements suggested that the former governor was involved in planning killings, paying bandits, using demolitions against opponents and encouraging ethnic and religious division in Kaduna State.
They argued that the allegations had caused damage to El-Rufai’s reputation and demanded that Musa withdraw them publicly.
The former governor’s legal team wants the Defence Minister to issue a full retraction and apology during Politics Today. They also want the apology to receive the same or greater level of attention as the original statements.
The lawyers further demanded that the apology be published in two national newspapers, including one with wide circulation in Northern Nigeria and another with strong readership in the South.
They also made clear that the N10 billion being demanded was a compensation and settlement request and was not money already awarded to El-Rufai by a court.
On the allegation that El-Rufai deliberately planned killings in Southern Kaduna, his lawyers denied any involvement in such acts. They said no evidence or court decision had established that the former governor planned the killing of anyone.
The legal team also rejected the allegation that El-Rufai paid bandits. According to the lawyers, the former governor had consistently maintained that he would not negotiate with or pay bandits.
The lawyers also defended demolitions carried out during El-Rufai’s time as governor, saying such actions were undertaken under the law and for public purposes.
They rejected claims that El-Rufai’s administration divided Kaduna State along religious or ethnic lines. The lawyers said the former governor’s government pursued policies it considered necessary for development and unity across the state.
El-Rufai’s legal representatives also argued that the allegations had not been established by any court and therefore required proof.
They said Musa’s position as Defence Minister and his background as a retired senior military officer gave his public statements considerable influence.
According to the lawyers, allegations coming from a person holding such a position could cause greater reputational damage because members of the public could attach more credibility to them.
The legal team also accused Musa of failing to properly verify the allegations before making them during the television interview.
Apart from demanding a retraction and apology, El-Rufai’s lawyers requested the preservation of materials connected to Musa’s appearance on the programme.
These include recordings, transcripts, notes, drafts, communications and other documents relating to the interview.
The lawyers also requested information about the sources, reports and documents Musa relied on when making the allegations. They further sought information on the programme’s reach, including its views, shares and other forms of public engagement.
The letter also demanded that Musa give a written undertaking not to repeat or republish the allegations or make further claims with substantially similar meaning.
The minister was given seven calendar days from the effective date of receiving the letter to meet the demands.
He was also asked to acknowledge receipt of the letter within 24 hours and provide a full response by 4pm on the seventh day.
El-Rufai’s lawyers warned that failure to respond could be used in any subsequent legal proceedings concerning damages and other issues connected to the case.
They further warned that if the matter was not resolved, the former governor could approach the court for various forms of relief.
These could include damages, orders preventing further publication of the allegations, disclosure orders, interest and legal costs.
The dispute has revived debate over El-Rufai’s eight-year administration in Kaduna, particularly issues surrounding insecurity, government policies, demolitions and relations among different communities.
Musa’s television appearance brought some of those issues back into public discussion, with the Defence Minister making claims concerning the handling of insecurity and other matters during the former governor’s tenure.
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While the legal battle is developing, Muslim and Christian leaders in Southern Kaduna have urged residents not to allow the disagreement to create religious or regional tension.
The leaders, operating under the Jama’atu Nasril Islam and the Christian Association of Nigeria, called for dialogue and restraint during their meeting in Kafanchan.
The Chairman of the Council of Imams in Southern Kaduna, Imam Muhammed Kabir Kasim, urged the public to consider the circumstances surrounding Musa’s comments before reaching conclusions.
He described Musa as an experienced military officer and public servant and called on residents to avoid relying on social media interpretations that could increase tension.
Kasim also warned that Southern Kaduna had experienced several difficult periods and should not allow a disagreement involving public figures to reopen old divisions.
He urged Christians and Muslims in the area to protect the relationships that have existed between their communities for many years.
The Chairman of the Southern Kaduna/Jema’a branch of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Garba Alhassan Adamu, also appealed for constructive engagement.
Adamu said Musa’s background and knowledge of the challenges facing Southern Kaduna should encourage stakeholders to engage him through dialogue rather than confrontation.
He urged religious leaders to be careful when speaking about sensitive national and regional issues, saying careless comments could increase suspicion and create further divisions.
Adamu also called on people to learn how to disagree without turning political or public disagreements into personal or communal conflicts.
The Chairman of CAN in Kachia Local Government Area, Rev Ezekiel Jock, similarly urged Christians and Muslims not to interpret the dispute as an attack on a particular religion or community.
Jock said public statements could be understood differently by different people and advised residents to separate the individual involved from the issues being discussed.
He called for people to rely on facts and peaceful discussion rather than emotion when responding to controversial statements.
Jock also warned against the spread of provocative or misleading information on social media, saying such material could quickly increase tension between communities.
He urged residents to think about the possible effect of information before sharing it online, especially when such information involves religion, ethnicity or sensitive political issues.
Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Muslim-Christian Network for Good Governance has backed Musa over the controversy.
The Kaduna-based interfaith group described the minister’s assessment of the El-Rufai administration as a reflection of what some residents experienced during the former governor’s time in office.
In a statement issued on Monday, the organisation criticised reactions against Musa and accused some commentators of using ethnic and religious arguments to defend El-Rufai.
The group listed several complaints against the former administration, including its treatment of traditional rulers and workers, handling of insecurity, demolition of markets and houses, and its treatment of religious and community leaders who opposed some government policies.
The organisation also raised allegations concerning the former governor’s position on the marginalisation of some groups in Kaduna State.
It further accused El-Rufai of using religious issues as part of political campaigns and activities while he was governor.
The group said Musa’s comments should be considered in the wider context of events across Kaduna State rather than being viewed only through the experience of Southern Kaduna.
According to the organisation, the minister’s concerns related to people across the state who were affected by insecurity and government decisions during the previous administration.
The group challenged those who disagreed with Musa to respond with facts rather than use ethnic or religious arguments.
It also expressed support for Musa’s current role as Defence Minister and wished him success in his efforts to improve security across Nigeria.
The controversy has now moved beyond political criticism, with El-Rufai’s legal team threatening further action if Musa does not meet the demands contained in the letter.
At the same time, religious leaders in Southern Kaduna are calling on both sides and their supporters to avoid actions or statements that could deepen existing divisions.
The development leaves the matter open to both legal and public debate as the seven-day period given to the Defence Minister begins to run.
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