The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has alleged that external and religious forces are driving the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai . According to Secretary-General Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, the council felt compelled to address the situation following recent developments after previously choosing to remain silent on the matter.

Recall that in a recent live broadcast on Channel’s Television’s Politics Today, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), alleged that former Governor Nasir El-Rufai deliberately planned killings in Southern Kaduna. Musa further accused El-Rufai of executing highly divisive policies and stoking insecurity across Kaduna State throughout his administration from 2015 to 2023.

He also described the situation in the state during El-Rufai’s tenure as “toxic”, arguing that residents of Southern Kaduna remained unhappy with the former governor over the killings recorded in the area during his administration.

But in a statement issued on his behalf by his family, the former governor denied the allegation and demanded retraction.

The statement signed by Hon. Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, eldest son of the former governor, said the family was seriously concerned by comments made by the Defence Minister and issued a seven-day ultimatum to him to provide evidence backing all allegations or publicly retract the claim.

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) said it has decided to change its previous stance of refraining from commenting on the controversy surrounding the detention of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai. The Council explained that it had hitherto regarded his prosecution as a standard judicial process and believed the judiciary had the inherent capacity to uphold justice.

However, the Council noted that recent developments in the public domain have raised serious concerns. “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,” the statement said.

Consequently, the NSCIA called on the Federal Government and the judiciary to ensure that individuals with vested religious interests are prevented from weaponizing public institutions or the legal system to pursue a sectarian agenda against him. It also appealed to the general public to refrain from incendiary comments that could prejudice El-Rufai’s fair trial or worsen the security situation in the country.

The statement concluded with a prayer, adding, “May Almighty Allah grant peace, stability, and security to Nigeria.”