By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo
KADUNA — The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has expressed solidarity with the Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd), over his recent comments concerning the administration of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, demanding an independent investigation into allegations of payments to bandits during the former governor’s tenure
The forum also called for a review of unresolved cases of mass killings and other violent incidents recorded in parts of Kaduna State under the El-Rufai administration
At a press conference on Tuesday, the MBF, through its National Spokesman, Luka Binniyat, made the demands following controversy generated by Musa’s appearance on ’s Politics Today on September 3, 2026
During the programme, the Defence Minister had 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 Kaduna governor
Musa also reportedly referred to allegations that El-Rufai had acknowledged making payments to bandits, a claim that has generated controversy and denials
However, the MBF said its intervention was not intended merely to repeat the minister’s allegations, but to draw attention to what it described as the historical record of insecurity and government responses in Kaduna State during the former administration
According to the forum, Southern Kaduna, which it described as part of the Middle Belt, witnessed repeated attacks on rural communities, killings, destruction of homes and displacement during the period
The group acknowledged that Kaduna had experienced communal and religious violence before 2015 but argued that the nature and scale of rural attacks during the subsequent administration represented a significant deterioration
The MBF alleged that, in several instances, government authorities moved swiftly against community leaders and traditional rulers following violent incidents, while alleged perpetrators of attacks were not subjected to comparable legal action
It 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
The forum 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
It further cited the 2021 arrest of 15 Atyap leaders, including an elderly man, over allegations connected with the killing of cattle The MBF claimed that some of those arrested later died.
On the 2019 Kajuru crisis, the forum questioned figures publicly announced at the time regarding casualties among Fulani residents, noting that the then Commissioner of Police had reportedly cautioned against pre-empting police investigations
The MBF also alleged that the subsequent detention of Adara community leaders was unlawful, citing 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 in communities including Karamai, Ungwan Barde, Inkirimi and Dogonnoma demonstrated the need for a comprehensive review of the events and the official response to them
The MBF also revisited the December 2015 clash between security forces and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, commonly known as the Shiite group, in Zaria
It alleged that the former administration failed to adequately address the deaths and subsequent arrests arising from the incident
On the use of curfews during periods of violence, the forum alleged that restrictions imposed in parts of Southern Kaduna left vulnerable communities exposed to attacks
It cited incidents in Jema’a and Zangon Kataf, including attacks on Atyap communities in 2020, arguing that violence continued despite the imposition of curfews
The MBF claimed that numerous people were killed and several communities destroyed during the period, while thousands of residents were displaced
It further alleged that the government failed to do enough to protect affected communities and bring perpetrators to justice
Beyond insecurity, the forum criticised the El-Rufai administration over its treatment of public workers, citing the dismissal of thousands of teachers following competency tests conducted by the state government
It also referred to the wider controversy surrounding the mass disengagement of workers during the administration, arguing that the socio-economic consequences deserved further examination
The MBF equally raised concerns over demolition exercises carried out under the former administration, saying that while the government justified some of the exercises on the grounds of urban renewal and enforcement of planning regulations, their human consequences should not be ignored
It called for investigations into reported deaths and injuries associated with some of the demolition exercises
The forum consequently called for an independent and credible investigation into allegations that the former administration made payments to bandits or other armed groups
It noted that there had also been a public denial by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Martin Agwai, regarding an alleged claim that his committee had recommended that the former governor pay those responsible for killings in Southern Kaduna
The MBF said the conflicting claims made an independent investigation necessary
It also called for a review of unresolved cases of mass killings in Southern Kaduna during the El-Rufai administration, including the circumstances surrounding the kidnapping and killing of the Agwom Adara, Dr Raphael Maiwada Galadima, in October 2018
The forum further demanded an investigation into deaths and injuries allegedly associated with controversial demolition exercises carried out during the former administration
Most significantly, the MBF urged that, if investigations establish evidence of crimes against humanity, appropriate legal action should follow, including consideration of referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC)
The forum stressed that its position was not intended as a substitute for due process, insisting that the 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 maintained that Musa’s comments should be subjected to investigation rather than answered with what it described as intimidation, insults or political blackmail “The people of Kaduna deserve the truth,” the forum said.