How El-Rufai’s government created divisions in Kaduna – Defence Minister Musa

Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has accused former Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, of taking actions that allegedly deepened ethnic and religious divisions in the state during his administration.

Musa made the allegations on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television, where he criticised the former governor’s handling of insecurity, governance and relations among communities in Kaduna.

The defence minister alleged that policies and actions under El-Rufai created a situation where residents from southern Kaduna were reluctant to live in the northern part of the state, while people from the northern communities also moved south. Blueprint reports

“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 ones from the north were moving to the south,” Musa said.

He, however, commended incumbent Governor Uba Sani for what he described as deliberate efforts to rebuild unity and restore confidence among residents across the state.

Musa praises Uba Sani’s approach

According to the minister, Sani has made progress in reversing some of the divisions he attributed to the previous administration.

“I mean, you can’t imagine that in the country. The country that is supposed to be one. But Governor Uba Sani, within one year, has been able to dissolve all that,” he said.

Musa acknowledged that challenges remained but said the governor’s efforts had created greater freedom of movement and participation among residents.

“You see now, everybody is free. Everybody has a say. It’s not 100 percent, let me tell you; it’s not 100 percent. But you can see that he’s making deliberate effort in uniting the state,” he added.

Security allegations

The minister also accused the former governor of failing to adequately address killings and insecurity in southern Kaduna during his tenure.

Musa said residents of the area remained aggrieved over what he described as the former administration’s handling of the security crisis.

He also referred to previous public statements by El-Rufai concerning his administration’s engagement with bandits, including claims that money was paid to them in an attempt to secure peace.

“If you look at his videos, his speeches, he was very proud of what he did. He told us he paid bandits. He told us he did this; he did that. He didn’t hide it,” Musa alleged.

“He was that arrogant to come out and tell people that this was what he did.”

The minister further claimed that the scale of killings recorded in southern Kaduna during El-Rufai’s administration was significantly higher than what he described as the current situation.

“If you look at the number of killings that were done there (southern Kaduna) and what is going on now, you can’t compare at all. And he didn’t give opportunities. We couldn’t do a lot of things,” Musa said.

“But now you could see that breath of fresh air.”

Allegation of demolitions

Musa also accused the former governor of using government machinery to demolish properties belonging to some residents over personal disagreements.

He alleged that individuals who fell out with El-Rufai could have their properties targeted by government officials.

“I can tell you people what he has done to people living in Kaduna State from his own area. He had just personal [issues]with friends. The next thing, he sends a bulldozer to bulldoze your house down. He’s done it. It’s there on the TV,” he alleged.

Musa urged Nigerians to examine available video records and public statements concerning the former governor’s administration, insisting that his claims were not fabricated.

“It’s not anything I’m concocting. People just go to YouTube and check what he has done. I mean, you will see a lot of it,” he said.

Calls for unity

Despite his strong criticism, Musa said he did not consider El-Rufai an enemy, describing the former governor instead as “misguided.”

The minister said his comments were not motivated by his origin from Kaduna State but by his concern as a Nigerian over the consequences of division and insecurity.

He called for the emergence of political leaders who would prioritise national unity and work to bridge ethnic and religious differences.

Musa warned against the exploitation of Nigeria’s religious and ethnic fault lines for political purposes, stressing the need for leaders to promote peaceful coexistence and inclusiveness.

His comments are likely to generate further reactions from political actors and supporters of the former Kaduna governor, particularly given the increasingly active political environment ahead of the 2027 general elections.