El-Rufai Paid Bandits? Retired General Demands Proof From Defence Minister Musa

A retired Nigerian Army Major General and former General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Danjuma Hamisu Ali-Keffi, has challenged Defence Minister Christopher Musa to provide evidence supporting his allegation that former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai paid bandits to carry out attacks in the state.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Ali-Keffi described the allegation as politically motivated and cautioned serving and retired military officers against making politically sensitive statements that could be interpreted as reflecting the official position of the military.

The retired general, while commenting on the controversy, urged Musa to make public any evidence backing his claim against the former Kaduna governor.

Ali-Keffi stressed that senior military officers should exercise caution when commenting on political matters, noting that their statements carry significant weight because of their positions and professional backgrounds.

He said that if there was credible evidence that El-Rufai paid bandits, the Defence Minister should present it publicly rather than making the allegation without supporting documentation.

Drawing from his experience as the commander of 1 Division, Ali-Keffi also rejected suggestions that El-Rufai had instructed the military to spare criminal elements during his tenure as governor.

The retired officer said he never received any directive from the former governor to halt military operations against criminals or to protect individuals based on their ethnic background.

According to Ali-Keffi, security forces conducted several clearance operations across Kaduna State during his tenure as GOC, while the state government provided intelligence that assisted military operations.

He specifically commended Samuel Aruwan, who served in Kaduna’s security-related administration under El-Rufai, for maintaining communication with military commanders and providing intelligence considered useful to security operations.

Ali-Keffi recalled that he sometimes contacted the former governor before military operations to request that residents be warned to stay away from areas where troops were expected to operate.

He said El-Rufai initially questioned the need for such warnings in some instances because of concerns that individuals remaining in certain forest areas could be assisting criminals.

However, Ali-Keffi maintained that he explained to the former governor that the military had a responsibility to minimise civilian casualties and collateral damage during operations.

According to the retired general, El-Rufai eventually accepted the military’s position and did not interfere with the operations.

Ali-Keffi further questioned the timing of Musa’s comments about the former governor, suggesting that the Defence Minister had chosen to make the allegations after El-Rufai was no longer in a position of significant political influence.

He described the development as politics and argued that senior military officers should avoid becoming involved in partisan disputes.

The former GOC, however, clarified that his defence of El-Rufai over the allegation should not be interpreted as an endorsement of everything the former governor did while in office.

Ali-Keffi recalled that he had disagreements with El-Rufai during his tenure, including an incident involving the demolition of a property he said belonged to him in the National Eye Centre area of Mando.

He maintained that despite his personal disagreements with the former governor, he considered it unfair for the Defence Minister to make serious allegations against him without publicly presenting evidence to substantiate the claims.