Retired Nigerian Army Major General Danjuma Hamisu Ali-Keffi has criticised Defence Minister Christopher Gwabin Musa over his recent comments about former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, warning serving and retired military generals against being drawn into partisan political disputes.

Ali-Keffi, a former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, described Musa’s allegations against El-Rufai as “plain politics” and urged senior military officers to exercise restraint when commenting on political matters.

The retired general spoke in an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters while reacting to the controversy surrounding El-Rufai and allegations that the former governor paid or negotiated with bandits.

Ali-Keffi said he was particularly disappointed that Musa, whom he described as his erstwhile friend, publicly criticised El-Rufai, arguing that senior military officers should understand the influence and authority attached to their statements.

“Generals should be very careful how we comment on political issues. We are not professional politicians. I mean, we should leave politics for politicians,” he said.

According to him, retired generals remain influential figures whose comments can easily be interpreted by the public as reflecting the position of the military establishment.

“Our words carry a lot of weight. Our words are listened to by so many people, right? So we should be very careful,” Ali-Keffi added.

The former GOC challenged Musa to provide evidence for his allegation that El-Rufai paid bandits, rather than making what he described as unsubstantiated claims.

“He alleged, that is CG Musa alleged, El-Rufai paid bandits. How? You have facts? Present it! Why are you keeping it? Present it!” he said.

Ali-Keffi also disputed claims that El-Rufai negotiated with bandits or attempted to prevent military operations against criminal groups during his tenure as governor.

Drawing from his experience as GOC 1 Division, he said El-Rufai never instructed him to halt military operations against criminal elements in Kaduna State.

“El-Rufai never negotiated with bandits. El-Rufai never prevailed on us military people while I was the General Officer Commanding not to carry out operations against the Fulani. In fact, he said criminal Fulani person should not be spared!” he stated.

The retired general said military operations were conducted in different parts of Kaduna during his tenure and that the state government provided intelligence that supported security operations.

He specifically commended Samuel Aruwan, who served as Kaduna Commissioner for Internal Security, for maintaining regular communication with military commanders and providing intelligence.

Ali-Keffi recalled that he personally contacted El-Rufai before some military clearance operations to request that civilians be warned to stay away from areas where troops would be deployed.

He said El-Rufai initially resisted the request, arguing that some people remaining in the forests were complicit in criminal activities.

However, according to Ali-Keffi, he explained that the military had a responsibility to minimise civilian casualties and collateral damage, after which the former governor cooperated with the military.

The retired general said El-Rufai never attempted to stop the operations, questioning the basis for portraying the former governor as an obstruction to military action against banditry.

Ali-Keffi also took issue with the timing of Musa’s allegations, suggesting that they were politically motivated because they were made after El-Rufai had lost some of his political influence.

“Where’s your chivalry? The man is down. Why didn’t he say that when [he] was gone up? He didn’t have the liver, no stomach,” he said.

He described the allegations as “far-fetched” and “plain politics,” adding that senior military officers should avoid allowing political disagreements to damage their professional credibility or drag the armed forces into partisan disputes.

Ali-Keffi, however, said his defence of El-Rufai did not mean he agreed with all the former governor’s actions.

He recalled that El-Rufai had once demolished property belonging to him at the National Eye Centre, Mando, but said the personal disagreement did not justify allegations he considered unsupported by his own experience.

“I would not have said these things I am saying but it is very unfair for the Minister of Defence Christopher Musa to have gone after El-Rufai, I don’t support some of the things that El-Rufai did, no,” he said.