Reopen El-Rufai’s Files: MBF Demands Fresh Investigation Into Southern Kaduna Killings
KADUNA, Nigeria – The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has demanded an independent and comprehensive investigation into the mass killings and alleged financial payments to bandits during the eight-year administration of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
The socio-cultural group made this declaration on Tuesday during a press conference in Kaduna led by its National Spokesperson, Luka Binniyat.
The forum strongly threw its weight behind the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), urging him to ignore the ₦10 billion defamation lawsuit threat and ultimatum issued by the El-Rufai family.
Call for International Justice
The MBF stated that the scale of violence witnessed in Southern Kaduna between 2015 and 2023 warrants severe judicial scrutiny.
The forum asserted that if the former governor is found culpable of complicity or willful negligence, he should be held accountable under international law.
“It is the opinion of the MBF that El-Rufai should be charged with crimes against humanity and be handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for proper prosecution,” Binniyat stated.
Unresolved Cases and ‘Bandit Payments’
According to the Middle Belt Forum, a fresh investigation is necessary following a recent public clarification by retired Gen. Martin Agwai. Agwai reportedly denied claims that a committee he headed had ever advised the El-Rufai administration to pay off attackers to stop the killings in Southern Kaduna.
The MBF is calling for a thorough review of several high-profile, unresolved security incidents during that era, including:
The Murder of Traditional Rulers: The controversial October 2018 kidnapping and assassination of the Agwom Adara, Dr. Raphael Maiwada Galadima.
Asymmetrical Law Enforcement: Allegations that the state government targeted and arrested indigenous Southern Kaduna community leaders and traditional rulers post-attack, rather than pursuing the perpetrators.
Controversial Demolitions:
The deaths, injuries, and displacement tied to aggressive urban demolition exercises conducted under El-Rufai’s tenure.
The Defence Ministry Face-Off
This development comes on the heels of a fierce public dispute. During a live television appearance on September 3, Defence Minister Gen. Christopher Musa openly accused El-Rufai of running a divisive administration that worsened security cleavages in Kaduna State.
In response, El-Rufai’s family, through his son Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, issued a seven-day ultimatum on September 7, demanding a full retraction, a public apology, and ₦10 billion in damages, threatening legal action if the minister fails to comply.
However, the MBF insists that the Minister of Defence spoken the absolute truth regarding the historical trauma of the region. The forum maintained that it possesses sufficient documented evidence to back the minister’s claims and will not stand by while the victims of the Southern Kaduna crises are forgotten.
At the time of this report, media aides to the former governor have continued to maintain that all actions taken during his tenure were purely for public safety and strictly in accordance with the law.
