The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, has raised concerns over alleged religious bias in the ongoing prosecution of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

The council, which said it had previously refrained from commenting on the prosecution of El-Rufai or any other political figure, said recent developments in the public domain had raised concerns that suggested an extraneous involvement of an underlying religious bias against the former governor.

The intervention came after the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), made controversial allegations against El-Rufai over the violence that occurred in Southern Kaduna during his administration.

Musa, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, accused El-Rufai of having “done a lot of terrible things” in Kaduna State and alleged that his administration deepened divisions between northern and southern parts of the state.

The minister further alleged that El-Rufai deliberately planned for the killing of people in Southern Kaduna, while referring to purported videos and speeches in which the former governor allegedly discussed dealings with bandits.

Musa also alleged that El-Rufai’s administration created a situation in which people from Southern Kaduna could not freely live in the northern part of the state, while residents from the north moved south.

The former governor’s family however, rejected the allegations and gave Musa seven days to substantiate the claim that El-Rufai planned killings in Southern Kaduna or retract it and apologise.

El-Rufai’s lawyers subsequently demanded N10 billion in damages from the Defence Minister over what they described as defamatory statements, insisting that the allegations had not been proved or determined by any court.

But in a statement on Tuesday, NSCIA’s Secretary-General, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, said the council had deliberately stayed away from the controversy because it initially considered El-Rufai’s prosecution a standard judicial process and trusted the Judiciary to uphold justice.

“However, recent developments in the public domain have raised serious concerns that strongly suggest an extraneous involvement of an underlying religious bias against the former Governor,” the council said.

It called on the Federal Government and the Judiciary to ensure that individuals with vested religious interests were prevented from weaponizing public institutions or the legal system to execute a sectarian agenda against El-Rufai.

The council appealed to Nigerians to refrain from incendiary comments that could prejudice the former governor’s fair trial or worsen the country’s security situation.

El-Rufai, who served as Kaduna governor from 2015 to 2023, has faced sustained scrutiny over his administration’s handling of insecurity, particularly the violence involving communities in Southern Kaduna.

The former governor is also currently facing corruption-related prosecution arising from alleged financial infractions during his tenure.