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

Defense Minister General Christopher Musa (Retd) has accused former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai of taking actions that allegedly aggravated ethnic and religious divisions in the state during his administration.

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

The Defense Minister said El-Rufai’s policies and actions created a situation where residents of southern Kaduna were reluctant to live in the northern part of the state, while people from northern communities also moved south. Project reports

“El-Rufai did a lot of terrible things in Kaduna state. He divided the state in two. That way, if you are from the south, you can’t go and live in the north. Those 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 trust among residents across the state.

Musa praises Uba Sani’s approach

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

“I mean, you can’t imagine such a thing in this country. The country that’s supposed to be. But Governor Uba Sani, within a year, was able to untie all of this,” he said.

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

“You see now, everyone is free. Everyone has a say. It’s not 100 percent, let me tell you; it’s not 100 percent. But you can see he’s making a deliberate effort to unite the state,” he added.

Security charges

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

Musa said residents in the area were aggrieved by what he described as the previous administration’s handling of the security crisis.

He also referenced El-Rufai’s previous public statements regarding his administration’s involvement with bandits, including claims that money was paid to them in an effort 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 said.

“He was so arrogant to come out and tell people that this is what he had done.”

The minister further said 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 happened there (in southern Kaduna) and what is happening now, you can’t make any comparison. And it didn’t give opportunities. We couldn’t do many things,” Musa said.

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

Accusation of demolitions

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

He said people who fell out with El-Rufai could see their properties targeted by government officials.

“I can tell you what he did to people living in Kaduna state from his own area. It was just personal [issues]with friends. Then send a bulldozer to demolish your house. He did it. It’s there on TV,” he said.

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

“It’s not something I’m making up. People go on YouTube and check out what he’s done. I mean, you’ll see a lot of it,” he said.

Call for unity

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

The minister said his comments were not motivated by his origin in 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 prioritize national unity and work to bridge ethnic and religious differences.

Musa warned against exploiting 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 elicit further reactions from political actors and supporters of the former Kaduna governor, especially considering the increasingly active political context ahead of the 2027 general elections.