Christopher Musa, Minister of Defence, has accused Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, of taking actions that allegedly divided the state and worsened tensions among residents.

Gen Musa made the allegations on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television, claiming that el-Rufai created divisions between northern and southern Kaduna.

“El-Rufai did a lot of terrible things in Kaduna State. He divided the state into two,” Musa said.

He alleged that residents from southern Kaduna were discouraged from living in the northern part of the state, while some people from the north moved south.

Musa praised Governor Uba Sani for what he described as efforts to bridge the divisions, saying the situation had improved since Sani assumed office.

The minister also accused el-Rufai of failing to adequately address killings in southern Kaduna and alleged that the former governor had admitted to paying bandits.

“If you look at his videos, his speeches, he was very proud of what he did. He told us he paid bandits,” Musa said.

However, Musa said he did not regard el-Rufai as an enemy, describing him instead as “misguided.”

He further alleged that the former governor used his influence to demolish properties belonging to residents with whom he had personal disagreements.

According to Musa, his criticism was not based on his being from Kaduna but on his concern as a Nigerian.

He called for political leaders who would promote national unity rather than exploit Nigeria’s ethnic and religious differences.