Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has come out in support of Naja’atu Muhammad, the leader of the Northern Star, amidst ongoing allegations against National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu.
The controversy stems from claims made by Muhammad in a widely shared TikTok video, where she accused Ribadu of discrediting President Bola Tinubu and other high-ranking politicians during his tenure as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Muhammad’s video included allegations that in 2007, while heading the EFCC, Ribadu vowed to undermine and frustrate the efforts of several key figures, including Tinubu, George Akume, the Governor of Benue State, and Orji Kalu, the former Governor of Abia State. The controversial claims have since ignited a heated debate.
In response, Ribadu, through his lawyer Ahmed Raji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), refuted the allegations. Ribadu’s legal team issued a letter demanding a public apology and a retraction of the statement from Muhammad.
The letter, which was released on Tuesday, stated that Ribadu “has never maintained such a viewpoint” about any of the three politicians. The lawyer also stressed that the damage to Ribadu’s reputation caused by these claims was “unquantifiable” and challenged Muhammad to provide evidence to support her accusations.
El-Rufai, who has been an influential figure in Nigerian politics, intervened in the matter on Wednesday. In a post shared on his official Facebook page, he publicly backed Muhammad’s claims. He further criticized Ribadu, saying, “Nuhu must have serious amnesia.” The former governor insisted that Muhammad’s statement was truthful, providing historical context to her claims.
El-Rufai referenced records from 2006, pointing to official documents and discussions that support Muhammad’s allegations. He explained that the “record of proceedings in the Senate will confirm that Nuhu made those statements, sometime in 2006.”
Additionally, El-Rufai mentioned a February 2007 report from Daily Trust that corroborated the essence of Muhammad’s claims.
He also noted that the conclusions of a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in 2006, in which he participated, contained similar allegations made by Ribadu’s EFCC. El-Rufai suggested that these Council Conclusions, which could be subpoenaed from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation’s office, would provide further proof.
