NSCIA Breaks Silence, Raises Religious Bias Concerns Over El-Rufai Prosecution
Islamic affairs council calls on Federal Government and Judiciary to prevent public institutions from being used to pursue what it describes as a sectarian agenda against the former Kaduna governor.
By Abdullahi Yusuf
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has broken its silence on the ongoing prosecutions of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, warning against what it described as possible religious bias in the legal proceedings.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Council said it had deliberately refrained from commenting on El-Rufai’s prosecutions because it had initially regarded them as part of the normal judicial process and trusted the Judiciary to uphold justice.
The Council said recent developments in the public domain had, however, raised “serious concerns” that strongly suggested an underlying religious bias against the former governor.
“Consequently, the Council calls upon the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Judiciary to ensure that individuals with vested religious interests are strictly prevented from weaponizing public institutions or the legal system to execute a sectarian agenda against him,” the statement said.
The statement was signed by the NSCIA Secretary-General, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, CON, FNAL, on behalf of the Council.
“The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has persistently refrained from commenting on the controversy surrounding the ongoing prosecutions of His Excellency, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, or any political figure,” it said.
“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.”
The NSCIA’s intervention comes as El-Rufai, who is also a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and an opposition leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), faces ongoing legal proceedings.
The Council did not call for the withdrawal of the prosecutions. Instead, it urged the Federal Government and the Judiciary to ensure that the legal process remains free from what it described as sectarian interests.
The Islamic body also appealed to Nigerians to avoid inflammatory public commentary that could affect the fairness of the proceedings or worsen the country’s security situation.
“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,” it said.
The statement was dated 26th Rabiul Awwal 1448 AH, corresponding to September 8, 2026, and titled “El-Rufai: Justice Should Be Seen Done!”
The Council concluded with a prayer for peace, stability and security in Nigeria.
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