Nasir El-Rufai faces detention appeals and religious persecution allegations

Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, is facing both calls for humanitarian consideration regarding his detention and accusations of religious marginalization.

Dr. Salim Musa Umar, Chairman of the Farmers and Herders Initiative for Peace and Development (FHIPD), has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider El-Rufai’s release. Dr. Umar noted that El-Rufai has spent nearly 200 days in detention awaiting trial and urged that justice be administered with fairness and humanity. The FHIPD chairman highlighted El-Rufai’s past political support for the current administration as a factor deserving of remembrance.

Separately, Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has accused El-Rufai of persecuting Christian communities during his eight-year tenure in Kaduna. Fani-Kayode alleged that El-Rufai’s administration marginalized certain communities, denied development projects to Southern Kaduna, and subjected Christian officials to contempt. These claims were made during a meeting with the Chairman of the Northern Christian Association of Nigeria.