The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has backed the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), over his recent comments on insecurity in Kaduna State under former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, calling for an independent investigation into allegations that payments were made to bandits during the administration.
The forum also demanded a review of unresolved cases of mass killings and other violent incidents recorded in parts of Kaduna State during El-Rufai’s tenure.
The MBF made the demands at a press conference in Kaduna on Tuesday through its National Spokesman, Luka Binniyat, following controversy over Musa’s appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on September 3, 2026.
During the programme, Musa said, “We can never be happy with somebody who has deliberately planned for the killing of our people,” in an apparent reference to the former governor.
The minister also referred to allegations that El-Rufai had acknowledged making payments to bandits, a claim that has attracted controversy and denials.
Binniyat said the forum’s intervention was not aimed at merely repeating Musa’s allegations but at drawing attention to what it described as the record of insecurity and the government’s response in Kaduna during the period.
According to the MBF, communities in Southern Kaduna witnessed repeated attacks, killings, destruction of homes and displacement during the former administration.
The forum acknowledged that Kaduna had experienced communal and religious violence before 2015 but argued that the scale of attacks on rural communities worsened under the subsequent administration.
It alleged that government authorities in some cases moved against community leaders and traditional rulers after violent incidents, while perpetrators of attacks were not subjected to similar legal action.
The group cited the 2016 attack on Goska in Jema’a Local Government Area, alleging that the District Head of Goska, Moses Barde, was arrested following the incident.
It also referred to the case of the B’Gwam Kurama, Dr Ishaku Sabo Damina, whom it alleged was arrested after handing over a suspected criminal to security authorities.
The MBF further cited the 2021 arrest of 15 Atyap leaders, including an elderly man, over allegations connected with the killing of cattle, claiming that some of those arrested later died.
On the 2019 Kajuru crisis, the forum questioned casualty figures announced at the time concerning Fulani residents, noting that the then Commissioner of Police had reportedly warned against pre-empting police investigations.
It also alleged that the subsequent detention of Adara community leaders was unlawful, referring to a 2024 Federal High Court judgment in Kaduna which reportedly awarded damages to some of those detained.
The forum said the Kajuru crisis and subsequent attacks on communities including Karamai, Ungwan Barde, Inkirimi and Dogonnoma required a comprehensive review of the events and the authorities’ response.
The MBF also revisited the December 2015 clash between security forces and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, popularly known as the Shiite group, in Zaria.
It alleged that the former administration failed to adequately address the deaths and arrests that followed the incident.
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The forum also criticised the use of curfews during periods of violence, alleging that restrictions imposed in parts of Southern Kaduna left vulnerable communities exposed to attacks.
It cited attacks on Atyap communities in Jema’a and Zangon Kataf in 2020, arguing that violence continued despite the curfews.
Beyond insecurity, the MBF criticised the former administration over the dismissal of thousands of teachers following competency tests conducted by the state government.
It also raised concerns over the mass disengagement of workers and demolition exercises carried out during the administration, saying the socio-economic and human consequences required further examination.
MBF’s Demands
The forum called for an independent and credible investigation into allegations that the former Kaduna administration made payments to bandits or other armed groups.
It noted that former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Martin Agwai, had publicly denied an alleged claim that his committee recommended that El-Rufai pay those responsible for killings in Southern Kaduna.
The MBF said the conflicting claims made an independent investigation necessary.
It also demanded a review of unresolved cases of mass killings in Southern Kaduna during El-Rufai’s tenure, including the circumstances surrounding the kidnapping and killing of the Agwom Adara, Dr Raphael Maiwada Galadima, in October 2018.
The forum further called for investigations into deaths and injuries allegedly linked to controversial demolition exercises carried out under the former administration.
The MBF said that where investigations establish evidence of crimes against humanity, appropriate legal action should follow, including consideration of a referral to the International Criminal Court.
The forum stressed that its position was not a substitute for due process and that all allegations should be subjected to credible investigation.
“The people who lost their parents, children, homes, livelihoods, jobs and communities deserve nothing less,” the MBF said.
It added that Musa’s comments should be investigated rather than answered with “intimidation, insults or political blackmail.”
“The people of Kaduna deserve the truth,” the forum said.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.