*Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai.
The El-Rufai Support Group Association (ERSGA) has threatened legal action against the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd),over what it described as “unacceptable” and “defamatory” comments about former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its Director-General, Dr Uche Diala, the group accused the minister of making “unguarded utterances” and unsubstantiated allegations against El-Rufai during a recent appearance on Channels Television.
ERSGA particularly faulted the minister for allegedly claiming that El-Rufai had said he “paid bandits” while serving as governor of Kaduna State.
The group dismissed the claim as “totally fabricated” and said it was a previously debunked allegation.
“Mallam El-Rufai never made such a statement, neither did he or his administration ever pay bandits or indeed any other violent group(s) — either as an individual or while serving as Governor of Kaduna State,” the statement said.
According to the group, El-Rufai had consistently maintained, both while in office and after leaving office, that he would neither negotiate with nor pay bandits.
It also defended the former governor’s record on insecurity, saying he had worked with security agencies, including the military, to tackle recurrent violence in Kaduna State.
The association further condemned an alleged claim by the minister that El-Rufai “deliberately planned to kill our (Southern Kaduna) people,” describing the statement as “ethnic/clannish jingoism and divisive politics.”
It said such allegations were particularly troubling because they were allegedly made by a serving Minister of Defence and retired military general, arguing that comments from an official in such a sensitive position could have implications for peace and security.
“We consider the Minister’s overall conduct and utterances totally irresponsible, unacceptable, intentionally malicious, damaging to the hard earned reputation of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and a threat to peace and security — not only in Kaduna State, but the nation in general,” ERSGA said.
The group added that it identified with what it described as widespread public outrage over the minister’s comments.
It disclosed that it had directed its lawyers to commence “appropriate and necessary urgent actions” to address what it termed the minister’s misconduct concerning El-Rufai.