Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has alleged a coordinated plot by his detractors to link him to criminal activities and justify his prolonged detention following reports of an armed invasion at the home of a witness in his ongoing trial.
Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has raised an alarm over what his camp describes as a “fresh plot” to damage his reputation and ensure his continued incarceration. In a statement released Sunday by his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, the former governor warned of “malicious orchestrations” aimed at linking him to a reported gunmen invasion of the home of Mohammed Umar Karage, a principal witness in his ongoing trial at the Kaduna State High Court. El-Rufai, who has been in custody since February following his transfer from the EFCC to the ICPC, maintained that these developments are part of a sustained campaign of vilification that began in 2023 to undermine his public service record.
The tension escalated following a newspaper report suggesting the attack on the witness might be an attempt to silence him, drawing parallels to the disappearance of activist Dadiyata. El-Rufai’s camp vehemently rejected these insinuations, arguing that the publication was a deliberate attempt to jeopardize his pending bail application. “Any objective reader would recognise the clear intent behind these statements: to tarnish his reputation and justify his continued detention,” the statement read. The former governor’s team asserted that he is a law-abiding citizen with no connection to the alleged incident and has instructed his lawyers to initiate defamation proceedings against the media outlet responsible for the report.
Recalling his arrest at the Abuja Airport in February upon his return from Cairo, El-Rufai described his current legal challenges as a misuse of state power. His representatives emphasized that the rule of law should not be weaponized as a tool of oppression against political figures. “El-Rufai should be accorded full due process guaranteed by law to every citizen, and the persistent disregard for his rights must cease immediately,” the statement added. As the legal battle intensifies, the former governor’s camp continues to demand transparency and fairness, insisting that his contributions to national development should not be overshadowed by unsubstantiated criminal allegations.
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