The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has urged the Federal Government and the judiciary to ensure that the ongoing prosecution of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai is conducted without religious or other extraneous considerations.
The council said it had initially refrained from commenting on the case because it regarded the prosecution as part of the normal judicial process and trusted the courts to deliver justice.
However, the NSCIA said recent developments in the public space had prompted it to raise concerns over what it described as indications of possible religious bias in the handling of the former governor’s case.
The Secretary-General of the council, Is-haq Oloyede, made the position known in a statement.
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“The restraint was because the Council hitherto considered the prosecution as a standard judicial process and that the Judiciary has inherent capacity to uphold justice,” Oloyede said.
He added that the council’s position changed after “recent developments in the public domain” raised concerns about “an extraneous involvement of an underlying religious bias against the former Governor.”
The NSCIA therefore called on both the Federal Government and the judiciary to ensure that religious considerations do not interfere with the legal proceedings against el-Rufai.
It also appealed to members of the public to avoid statements capable of prejudicing the former governor’s trial or aggravating existing security challenges in the country.
“Furthermore, the Council appeals to the general public to refrain from incendiary comments that could prejudice the fair trial of Mallam El-Rufai or exacerbate the security situation in our nation,” the statement said.
The intervention followed recent comments by the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, concerning the former governor’s record in Kaduna State.
Musa, during an interview with Channels Television on September 4, accused el-Rufai of “doing a lot of terrible things in the state” and alleged that his administration contributed to divisions between the northern and southern parts of Kaduna.
El-Rufai’s family has rejected the allegations and threatened legal action against the defence minister unless he provides evidence to substantiate the claims within seven days.
The NSCIA said its appeal was intended to protect the integrity of the judicial process and discourage actions or comments that could undermine public confidence in the former governor’s trial.
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