Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has demanded a public apology and ₦10 billion from Defence Minister Christopher Musa over an allegation that he deliberately planned the killing of people in Southern Kaduna.
Lawyers representing Mr El-Rufai issued the demand in an eight-page pre-action letter dated September 7, giving the minister seven days from the date he receives the letter to provide evidence for the allegation or withdraw it.
The letter, from the Chambers of Ubong Akpan, was acknowledged by the Ministry of Defence on September 7.
The El-Rufai family also issued a statement signed by his son, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, urging Mr Musa to retract the allegation and apologise publicly.
The lawyers want the retraction and apology made with the same or greater prominence as the original remarks, which were made during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
They also want the statement published in two national newspapers, one with a predominantly northern circulation and another with a predominantly southern readership.
The legal team further demanded that the minister preserve recordings, transcripts, correspondence and other materials relating to the interview and disclose the evidence on which he based his claims.
They also asked Mr Musa to give a written undertaking not to repeat the allegations unless they are supported by evidence and legally justified.
The ₦10 billion demand, the lawyers explained, is being proposed as a settlement for what they described as damage to Mr El-Rufai’s reputation and the distress caused by the broadcast.
They stressed that the amount has not been awarded or agreed by any court.
The lawyers warned that they would pursue defamation proceedings and seek damages and injunctions if the minister failed to respond satisfactorily within the seven-day deadline.
What Musa said
Mr Musa made the allegation during his September 3 appearance on Politics Today, while discussing politics and governance in Kaduna State.
Asked whether people in Southern Kaduna were still unhappy with Mr El-Rufai, the minister said:
“We can never be happy with somebody who deliberately planned for the killing of our people.”
When the presenter, Seun Okinbaloye, pointed out that the statement was a serious allegation, Mr Musa replied, “Definitely,” before referring to videos and speeches in which he claimed Mr El-Rufai had said he paid bandits.
The minister did not point to a specific document, order or incident during the interview linking the former governor to the planning of killings.
He also accused Mr El-Rufai of dividing Kaduna along regional lines and ordering the demolition of homes because of personal disagreements.
Mr El-Rufai’s lawyers rejected the allegations, saying they had not been established by any court.
The family said Mr Musa had made the claim without providing evidence and challenged him to produce proof or retract the statement.
What the public record shows
The lawyers also rejected Mr Musa’s claim that Mr El-Rufai paid bandits.
However, the historical record distinguishes between that allegation and remarks made by the former governor in 2016.
While serving as governor, Mr El-Rufai said his administration had contacted leaders of some Fulani groups from neighbouring West African countries following attacks and reprisals linked to the 2011 post-election violence.
He said some of the groups sought compensation for cattle they claimed to have lost and that payments were made as part of efforts to prevent further violence.
The former governor later opposed ransom payments and negotiations with bandits.
While his 2016 comments indicate that his administration made some compensation payments, they do not, on their own, establish the separate allegation by Mr Musa that Mr El-Rufai deliberately planned killings.
The dispute could now move to court if the defence minister does not meet the demands contained in the pre-action letter.
