By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

The Southern Kaduna Leadership Council (SKLC) has called for a judicial inquiry into the actions of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, accusing him of orchestrating a reign of terror against the people of Southern Kaduna during his tenure.

At a press conference themed “Dispelling Lies and Hate Against a People: El-Rufai’s Reign of Terror Against Southern Kaduna”, the SKLC vehemently rejected claims by El-Rufai’s former media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, alleging that chiefdoms—including Adara—had requested changes to their names and structure.

According to Timothy B. Gandu, SKLC Secretary, these claims are misleading. He clarified that it was El-Rufai’s administration that initiated the process of altering the chieftaincy system by establishing a 13-member committee in 2017. This committee was mandated to examine and recommend changes to the nomenclature of chiefdoms that emphasized ethnic identities and to propose new names based on geographical locations.

Gandu cited official documents, including a letter dated June 20, 2017, from the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), as proof that the state government—not the traditional institutions—originated the process.

“The claim that traditional institutions across the state independently requested name changes is false. For instance, in Lere LGA with nine ethnic groups, only one made such a request. Similarly, in Kauru and Kagarko LGAs, only isolated requests were made,” Gandu said.

He alleged that El-Rufai orchestrated these requests to serve a divisive agenda, undermining the will of the majority. Out of the 25 indigenous chiefdoms affected by the changes, 17 explicitly opposed the name changes, while seven others clarified that they made no such requests. Despite this, their views were disregarded.

“The Southern Kaduna region has over 56 ethnic groups across 12 LGAs. It is unreasonable to claim they all requested changes,” Gandu stated.

The Council also accused El-Rufai of abusing his office to incite ethnic and religious divisions. Citing a viral video, Gandu claimed that El-Rufai admitted to deceiving members of his political party from Southern Kaduna, while promoting a Muslim–Muslim political agenda within the state, starting in 2019.

They also alleged a long list of grievances during El-Rufai’s administration, including:

The creation of emirates in multi-ethnic, multi-religious areas under the guise of traditional reform;

Arbitrary name changes and deposition of traditional rulers;

The murder of paramount rulers under suspicious circumstances;

Reduction of districts from 390 to 77, hampering the effectiveness of traditional institutions;

Regrading and demotion of Southern Kaduna chiefs through the Kaduna State Traditional Institution Law of 2021;

Discriminatory policies, including profiling Southern Kaduna youths as criminals;

Arbitrary closure of tertiary institutions in the region;

Lopsided retrenchments and marginalization in civil service;

The absence of IDP camps despite rampant attacks and displacements;

Illegal alteration of LGA boundaries, particularly moving Ladduga from Ikulu Chiefdom in Zangon Kataf to Adara Chiefdom in Kachia LGA;

Expansion of Kachia Grazing Reserve from 33,400 to 77,000 hectares without due process;

The incarceration and dethronement of community leaders.

“El-Rufai deliberately sought to change the demographics of Southern Kaduna through orchestrated banditry and displacement of our people,” the Council claimed. “He once said in 20 years, Southern Kaduna would be irrelevant. That chilling statement reflects the systematic deprivation we’ve endured.”

The SKLC called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to authorize an investigation into El-Rufai’s alleged misconduct in office. They requested that:

El-Rufai be interrogated and subjected to a judicial inquiry;

He be permanently banned from public office for violating the Constitution;

The DSS and other security agencies probe individuals allegedly paid by El-Rufai to “prevent killings”;

His involvement in actions tantamount to crimes against humanity be scrutinized.

The Council also urged the current Kaduna State Government, under Governor Uba Sani, to:

Repeal the 2021 Kaduna State Traditional Institution Law;

Restore traditional institutions to their 2015 status;

Review all non-inclusive laws and policies;

Continue efforts to rebuild trust and development in Southern Kaduna.

“We commend Governor Uba Sani for his inclusive approach and for supporting projects like the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia and the Federal Medical Centre in Kafanchan,” the SKLC said.

In conclusion, the Council expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for his inclusive governance, which they said has begun to positively impact Southern Kaduna.

“Long live Southern Kaduna. Long live Kaduna State. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” they declared.