El-Rufai Threatens N10bn Defamation Suit Against Defence Minister Christopher Musa Over Divisive Comments
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has demanded N10bn in compensation from the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), over alleged defamatory statements made during a Channels Television programme.
The demand was contained in a letter before action dated Monday, September 7, 2026, issued by El-Rufai’s lawyers, the Chambers of Ubong Akpan, and addressed to Musa at the Federal Ministry of Defence in Abuja.
The letter was posted on Facebook by a member of the House of Representatives and one of the sons of the former governor, Bello El-Rufai.
The legal action followed Musa’s appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on September 3, 2026, where he spoke about insecurity in Kaduna State.
Musa was quoted in the letter as saying, “We can never be happy with somebody who has deliberately planned for the killing of our people.” He also allegedly said of El-Rufai, “He told us he paid bandits,” and claimed, “The next thing he sends a bulldozer to bulldoze your house down. He’s done it.”
El-Rufai’s lawyers described the statements as false and defamatory, arguing that their natural meaning portrayed their client as someone who deliberately planned killings, paid bandits, victimised opponents through demolitions and divided Kaduna along ethnic and religious lines.
They said the statements conveyed that El-Rufai was “a criminal, a murderer, a sponsor of banditry, and a person of the most base and depraved character.”
El-Rufai denies allegations:
The lawyers said their client had “never been involved in any offence relating to the deliberate planning of killings in Southern Kaduna,” and that no evidence had ever been produced to establish it.
On paying bandits, they said El-Rufai had consistently maintained he would neither negotiate with nor pay bandits.
On demolitions, they said any demolitions during his tenure were conducted “in accordance with the law and for public purposes.” They also denied he divided Kaduna along ethnic or religious lines.
They stressed that “none of the allegations made by you has been tested, proved or determined by any court of competent jurisdiction,” and demanded strict proof.
The letter accused Musa of publishing the allegations from a position of authority as Defence Minister and retired Army general, saying his statements “carry particular weight and credibility” and caused greater damage than a private individual’s would.
Demands:
El-Rufai’s legal team demanded a “prominent, unconditional and unambiguous retraction, correction and apology” on Politics Today with same or greater prominence, plus publication in two national dailies — one circulating in the North and one in the South.
They also demanded preservation of all recordings, transcripts and source materials, full disclosure of sources relied upon, communications with Channels TV, and data on reach and engagement, as well as a signed undertaking not to repeat the statements.
On compensation, the letter stated: “Our Client’s instruction is to demand the sum of N10,000,000,000.00 (Ten Billion Naira) as compensation for the injury to his reputation and the distress and inconvenience occasioned,” clarifying it was a settlement demand, not court-awarded damages.
Musa was given seven calendar days to comply, required to acknowledge receipt within 24 hours and submit a substantive response by 4pm on the seventh day, with warning that silence could be relied upon for aggravated damages and that failure to resolve could lead to court proceedings for declaratory relief, damages, injunctions and costs.
