Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has demanded ₦10 billion in compensation from the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), over allegedly defamatory statements made during a television broadcast.
The demand was formally delivered to Musa at the Federal Ministry of Defence in Abuja on Monday, September 7, 2026, through a legal notice issued by El-Rufai’s counsel, Ubong Akpan Chambers.
The letter was publicly shared on Facebook by Bello El-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives and son of the former governor.
The legal action stems from Musa’s September 3, 2026, appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, during which he addressed the security situation in Kaduna State and leveled several allegations against El-Rufai.
Musa was quoted in the letter as saying, “We can never be happy with somebody who has deliberately planned for the killing of our people.” He also allegedly said of El-Rufai, “He told us he paid bandits,” and claimed, “The next thing he sends a bulldozer to bulldoze your house down. He’s done it.”
El-Rufai’s legal team asserted that, in their natural and ordinary meaning, the minister’s remarks portrayed their client as a sponsor of banditry, a orchestrator of targeted killings, a political persecutor who used demolitions against opponents, and a divisive figure who polarized Kaduna State along ethnic and religious lines.
Consequently, the legal team demanded a public apology and a formal retraction from Musa, alongside ₦10 billion in damages to compensate for the alleged severe reputational injury inflicted on the former governor.
They claimed that their client had “never been involved in any offence relating to the deliberate planning of killings in Southern Kaduna,” adding that “no evidence has ever been produced to establish that our Client ‘deliberately planned’ the killing of any person.”
Nasir El-Rufai paid bandits
The attorneys added that El-Rufai had consistently maintained that he would neither negotiate with nor pay bandits, contrary to Musa’s allegation.
They also denied Musa’s claims about demolitions, saying El-Rufai’s administration carried out any demolitions “in accordance with the law and for public purposes.”
The attorneys further rejected claims that El-Rufai’s administration divided Kaduna State along religious or ethnic lines. They said the administration’s actions aimed to “promote unity and development across all parts of the State.”
They stressed that “none of the allegations made by you has been tested, proved or determined by any court of competent jurisdiction” and demanded rigorous evidence to support each accusation.
The letter further accused the defence minister of publishing the allegations from a position of authority as the Defence Minister and a retired Nigerian Army general.
The lawyers further insisted that the public apology be published in two national daily newspapers—one with primary circulation across Northern Nigeria and the other in the South.
They also demanded the preservation of all recordings, transcripts, notes, drafts, correspondence, and background materials connected to Musa’s appearance on the broadcast.
Additionally, the legal team requested full disclosure of every document, report, and source relied upon by the minister to support his allegations, alongside details regarding his interactions with Channels Television and data on the program’s reach, views, shares, and overall engagement.
Finally, the notice mandated that Musa sign a formal undertaking promising not to repeat, republish, or cause the further dissemination of the alleged defamatory statements or any substantially similar claims.
Read Also: Nasir El-Rufai Sues ICPC, Demands N10bn Over Alleged Denial of Family Access
