NSCIA Breaks Silence Over El-Rufai Incarceration, Demands Justice

By KEMI KASUMU

“The restraint was because the Council hitherto considered the prosecution as a standard judicial process and that the Judiciary has inherent capacity to uphold justice,” said the statement. The Council, however, said recent developments had changed its assessment of the situation.

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has broken its silence on the ongoing prosecution of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, expressing concern over what it described as indications of possible religious bias in the legal proceedings.

The Council, in a statement dated Tuesday, September 8, 2026, said it had deliberately refrained from commenting on the matter because it initially regarded the prosecution as part of the normal judicial process and trusted the Judiciary to uphold justice.

However, the NSCIA said recent developments in the public domain had raised concerns that warranted its intervention.

The statement, signed by the NSCIA Secretary-General, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, CON, FNAL, on behalf of the Council, was titled: “El-Rufai: Justice Should Be Seen Done!”

According to the Council, its previous silence was based on the belief that the prosecution of El-Rufai, like that of any political figure, should be allowed to run its course through established judicial processes.

“The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has persistently refrained from commenting on the controversy surrounding the ongoing prosecutions of His Excellency, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, or any political figure,” the statement said.

“The restraint was because the Council hitherto considered the prosecution as a standard judicial process and that the Judiciary has inherent capacity to uphold justice.”

The Council, however, said recent developments had changed its assessment of the situation.

“However, recent developments in the public domain have raised serious concerns that strongly suggest an extraneous involvement of an underlying religious bias against the former Governor,” it said.

Against this backdrop, the NSCIA called on the Federal Government and the Judiciary to ensure that public institutions and the legal system were not used to pursue sectarian interests.

“Consequently, the Council calls upon the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Judiciary to ensure that individuals with vested religious interests are strictly prevented from weaponizing public institutions or the legal system to execute a sectarian agenda against him,” the Council said.

The Islamic body also appealed to Nigerians to exercise restraint in their public comments on the case, warning that inflammatory rhetoric could undermine the former governor’s right to a fair trial and worsen the country’s security situation.

“Furthermore, the Council appeals to the general public to refrain from incendiary comments that could prejudice the fair trial of Mallam El-Rufai or exacerbate the security situation in our nation,” it added.

The NSCIA concluded by praying for peace, stability and security in Nigeria.

The statement was issued on 26th Rabiul Awwal 1448 AH (September 8, 2026) and signed by Professor Oloyede, identified as “Kuliyan Sokoto,” Secretary-General of the NSCIA.