The Middle Belt Forum has called for a thorough investigation of alleged killings and other abuses recorded in Kaduna State under the administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
The group also backed the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), urging him to reject demands for an apology and N10bn compensation over his recent comments about the former governor.
National spokesman of the forum, Luka Binniyat, made the position known on Tuesday during a press conference in Kaduna.
The controversy was triggered by remarks made by Musa during a September 3 appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he criticised those he accused of deliberately facilitating the killing of Nigerians.
“We can never be happy with somebody who has deliberately planned for the killing of our people,” the minister said.
Musa also alleged that El-Rufai had acknowledged making payments to bandits, saying videos and public statements were available to support the allegation.
El-Rufai, through his lawyers, denied the claims and demanded a public apology from the minister in addition to N10bn in compensation.
But the MBF said Musa had no reason to apologise, insisting that his comments resonated with communities that experienced violence during El-Rufai’s eight-year administration.
Binniyat said the forum was not speaking on behalf of the defence minister but as a representative of communities in the Middle Belt that were affected by the violence.
“The Middle Belt Forum is not a mouthpiece for Gen. Musa. We are speaking as witnesses to what happened in Kaduna State during that period, since Southern Kaduna is part of the Middle Belt,” he said.
The group rejected claims that the insecurity witnessed during El-Rufai’s tenure was merely inherited from earlier administrations.
Although he acknowledged Kaduna’s history of communal and religious conflicts before 2015, Binniyat alleged that attacks on rural communities became more extensive during El-Rufai’s tenure.
He claimed that the violence resulted in deaths, the destruction of villages and the displacement of residents.
The MBF spokesman further alleged that some community leaders and traditional rulers were arrested following attacks rather than those responsible for the violence.
He cited the 2016 arrest of the District Head of Goska, Moses Barde, following an attack in Jema’a Local Government Area.
Binniyat also mentioned the arrest and subsequent dethronement of the B’Gwam Kurama, Dr Ishaku Sabo Damina, and the 2021 detention of 15 Atyap leaders over allegations involving the killing of 706 cows.
He also accused the former governor of making conflicting statements about casualties during the 2019 Kajuru crisis.
According to Binniyat, El-Rufai initially said 66 Fulani people were killed before revising the figure to 130 and subsequently 133.
He said the crisis was followed by the arrest of several Adara leaders, including former President of the Adara Development Association, Awemi Dio Maisamari.
Binniyat noted that Maisamari and eight other Adara leaders later obtained N900m in damages after the Federal High Court in Kaduna ruled that their detention was unlawful.
The MBF consequently demanded an independent investigation into the allegations against El-Rufai and said anyone found criminally responsible should face prosecution.
“It is the opinion of the MBF that El-Rufai should be charged with crimes against humanity and be handed over to the International Criminal Court for proper prosecution,” Binniyat said.
The forum said the investigation should also clarify claims surrounding an alleged recommendation by a committee headed by retired Gen. Martin Agwai for payments to killers of Southern Kaduna residents.
Binniyat said the denial by Agwai made it necessary for the matter to be independently established through evidence.
The MBF further demanded a review of unresolved cases of mass killings in Southern Kaduna, including the October 2018 kidnapping and murder of the Agwom Adara, Dr Raphael Maiwada Galadima.
The forum also accused the former administration of mishandling the 2015 Shiite crisis, imposing lengthy curfews in parts of Southern Kaduna and failing to adequately protect communities facing attacks.
It criticised other policies of the administration, including the mass dismissal of workers and demolition of residential and commercial properties.
The MBF maintained that the allegations should be subjected to due process and independent scrutiny, rather than being resolved through demands for apologies and financial compensation.
Leave a Reply