Buhari’s Former Minister Questions Defence Minister Over El-Rufai Killings Allegation
- Former minister Solomon Dalung called on Defence Minister Christopher Musa to produce evidence after Musa accused ex-Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai of deliberately planning the killing of Southern Kaduna people
- Musa, a Southern Kaduna native who served as Chief of Defence Staff before becoming minister, made the allegation during a recent interview, claiming El-Rufai had openly spoken about paying bandits while in office
- Retired General Danjuma Ali-Keffi, who commanded troops in Kaduna in 2021, publicly challenged Musa's account, saying El-Rufai never blocked military operations against criminal elements in the state
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Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
Former Sports Minister Solomon Dalung has demanded that Nigeria's Defence Minister, General Christopher Musa, back up his claim that ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai "deliberately planned for the killing of our people" with concrete evidence.
Dalung, writing in a detailed commentary, argued that Musa's words carry far more weight than an ordinary political accusation.
Source: UGC
He argued that Musa is not a politician but a former Chief of Defence Staff who now heads the Ministry of Defence.
This was contained in a lengthy post shared on Facebook on Monday, September 7, 2026.
What Musa said about El-Rufai
Musa made the allegation during a recent interview, telling viewers to examine El-Rufai's recorded videos and speeches, and pointing to the former governor's own admission that he paid bandits and took other actions while in office. When pressed on the gravity of his words, Musa did not walk them back.
Dalung acknowledged that Kaduna's communal violence long predates El-Rufai's tenure, which ran from 2015 to 2023.
He cited General Martin Luther Agwai, a Southern Kaduna-born former Chief of Defence Staff, who traced the region's crises through the 1987 Kafanchan conflict, the 1992 Zangon Kataf crisis, the 2000 Sharia violence, and the 2011 post-election killings.
El-Rufai himself appointed Agwai in 2015 to investigate the Southern Kaduna crisis. That committee did not conclude that the crisis was of the governor's making.
El-Rufai later acknowledged publicly in 2016 that his government had paid some compensation to Fulani who lost cattle and family members during the 2011 post-election violence, in exchange for a halt to reprisals.
Agwai subsequently warned that if compensation was being paid, all aggrieved parties, including communities and destroyed churches and mosques, should be included, not herdsmen alone.
Questions directed at Musa
Dalung's sharpest challenge is aimed at Musa's own professional record. Musa was Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai in 2021 and later rose to Chief of Defence Staff in 2023 before becoming minister in 2025.
Dalung asked: If Musa held credible evidence that a sitting governor was orchestrating the murder of citizens, what did he do with that information while serving in uniform? Who did he report it to, and was the allegation ever placed before the President or the National Security Adviser?
Retired Major-General Danjuma Ali-Keffi, who served as GOC 1 Division in 2021, added his own rebuttal. Ali-Keffi said El-Rufai never ordered him to halt military operations against criminals, and that the Kaduna State government, through officials including Samuel Aruwan, regularly provided intelligence to field commanders.
He also noted that Southern Kaduna largely fell under the 3 Division and Operation Safe Haven structure rather than his own formation.
Dalung was clear that his commentary was not a defence of El-Rufai's governance record, which he said deserved scrutiny on its own terms.
His argument was narrower: an allegation of deliberate criminal intent requires evidence of intent, not simply a record of violence during a governor's term.
El-Rufai's family gives defence minister 7 days
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that El-Rufai's family responded to allegations made by General Musa on live television against the former Kaduna governor.
General Musa claimed during a Channels Television programme on September 3, 2026, that El-Rufai actively planned killings in Southern Kaduna while in office.
The family said no evidence was presented to back the allegation and warned of legal action if a retraction is not made within 7 days.
Source: Legit.ng
