By Stephen Simon
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has launched a fiery attack on former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, accusing his administration of fostering deep ethnic divisions, exacerbating regional insecurity, and engaging in controversial policies during his eight-year tenure.
Speaking on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Gen. Musa characterized the socio-political climate in Kaduna under El-Rufai’s governance (2015–2023) as “toxic,” asserting that state-level actions effectively polarized residents along regional and ethnic lines.
“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. Those from the north were moving to the south,” Musa stated, referring to the heightened segregation experienced between Southern Kaduna and northern communities.
In his critique, the Defence Minister highlighted several controversial actions and policies attributed to the former governor:
Handling of Banditry: Re-igniting public debate over El-Rufai’s past admissions regarding financial payouts to armed bandits to forestall attacks in the state.
Property Demolitions: Alleging that state authority was weaponized to demolish properties belonging to political opponents and personal adversaries.
Casualties in Southern Kaduna: Asserting that residents of Southern Kaduna remain deeply aggrieved over the widespread killings and security failures recorded in the region during El-Rufai’s tenure.
When questioned about the lingering grievances of Southern Kaduna residents toward the former governor, Musa responded: “If there is anything worse than unhappy… We can never be happy with somebody who has deliberately planned for the killing of our people.”
Musa, who hails from Zangon Kataf in Southern Kaduna, clarified that his remarks were not driven by personal enmity or regional bias, but by a concern for national unity as a security administrator. Describing El-Rufai as “misguided” rather than an enemy, the minister urged Nigerian politicians to cease exploiting religious and ethnic fault lines for political gain.
As of the time of filing this report, former Governor El-Rufai has not issued an official response to the allegations raised by the Minister.
