MEDIA TRIAL OF EL-RUFAI: MURIC tells Tinubu to call his Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, to order

‎*Says what Nigeria, Kaduna need are people who will douse tensions not those who will invite citizens against one another

By KEMI KASUMU‎

‎“This interview suffers from acute desertification of tact. Yes, it is lack of tact to come on national television to lambast a man who is in custody particularly linking his ordeal with what he did to your own people when we all know that the man you are demarketing did not drop from Jupiter. He also has his own people and his people are not fools. No, sir, this is not the way to heal wounds.”

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused Defence Minister, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), of pursuing a personal vendetta against former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and called on the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government to rein in the minister over his recent remarks during a television interview.

MURIC alleged that Musa’s comments were driven by personal animosity rather than issues of public interest, urging the government to call him to order.

The civil liberties organisation made the allegations in a statement issued on Saturday, September 5, 2026, by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

In the statement, the group said, “The Minister of Defense, General Christopher Musa (rtd) granted an interview to a television station on Thursday, 3rd September, 2026 in which he made some unpalatable and incorrect statements about Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
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‎”For instance, he said, ‘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 (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/09/he-did-terrible-things-in-kaduna-musa-accuses-el-rufai-of-dividing-kaduna/amp/).
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‎”Just listen to that. Everyone knows that El-Rufai is Mr. No Nonsense. He injected sanity in Abuja when he was the Minister of the FCT. He did the same in Kaduna but look at the way the minister is putting it to us. Is that what really happened?
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“We put it to the Minister that he is manipulating the minds of Nigerians. This is most unfair. The honourable minister exhibited personal vendetta against Mallam Nasir El-Rufai in that interview. El-Rufai may be in custody. But there are people who will not keep quiet over this. We are among such people. MURIC will speak truth to power.
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‎”The minister also accused El-Rufai of deliberately planning the killing of the people of Southern Kaduna (https://opr.news/2e0644f260903en_ng?link=1&client=news).
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“It is all lies from the pit of Jahannam. The minister exhibited humongous traits of personal vendetta. How can a minister be referring to ‘my people’ as if he is the minister of Southern Kaduna alone and not that of Nigeria?
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‎”It is such a pity that a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria can forget his mandate and come out publicly to promote his own tribe. A minister is expected to speak for the country but here we have a minister speaking for his tribe.
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‎”It is the height of ethnic jingoism. This minister of defense has got it all wrong. He is being paid to defend the whole of Nigeria but now his focus is the people of Southern Kaduna.
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‎”This interview is in bad taste. It is provocative. The minister has also picked the wrong time to launch his tirade against an opponent who is in captivity and cannot defend himself. It is grossly unfair, reckless and discourteous.
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‎”This interview suffers from acute desertification of tact. Yes, it is lack of tact to come on national television to lambast a man who is in custody particularly linking his ordeal with what he did to your own people when we all know that the man you are demarketing did not drop from Jupiter. He also has his own people and his people are not fools. No, sir, this is not the way to heal wounds.
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‎”We appeal to the Federal Government to call the Minister of Defense to order. We want people who will douse tension not only in Kaduna State but all over Nigeria, not people who will incite one section against the other,” it said.