Defence Minister accuses El-Rufai of planning Southern Kaduna massacres

General Christopher Musa, the former Defence Minister, has accused former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, of actions that exacerbated divisions and contributed to insecurity during his time in office. During an interview on September 3, 2026, Musa described the conditions in Kaduna under El-Rufai's administration as "toxic", alleging that the former governor had created a situation where residents from Southern Kaduna could not safely travel to the northern part of the state and vice versa.

Musa claimed that El-Rufai had deliberately divided the state, forcing those from the south to remain in the south and those from the north to stay in the north. The former Governor's administration was also marred by a series of killings in Southern Kaduna, according to Musa. He stated that the residents of Southern Kaduna were deeply unhappy with El-Rufai for his role in these killings.

Musa further alleged that El-Rufai had openly discussed paying bandits and had even used his position to target individuals with whom he had disagreements. He also alleged that the former governor had ordered the demolition of houses belonging to those he disagreed with. Musa emphasized that his comments were not a personal vendetta against El-Rufai, but rather a concern for the unity of Nigeria.

He called on politicians to stop exploiting religious and ethnic divisions and instead promote unity among Nigerians. El-Rufai, who served as Kaduna's Governor from 2015 to 2023, has not yet commented on Musa's allegations.