NSCIA Calls for Fair Trial in El-Rufai Prosecution

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has raised concerns over what it described as signs of religious bias in the ongoing prosecution of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, warning against the alleged weaponisation of public institutions and the legal system for a sectarian agenda. In a statement issued by its Secretary-General, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, on behalf of the council, the NSCIA said it had deliberately refrained from commenting on the case because it initially viewed the prosecution as a standard judicial process. The council said it had confidence that the judiciary possessed the capacity to uphold justice and had therefore chosen not to intervene in the controversy surrounding El-Rufai or other political figures facing prosecution.

However, Oloyede said recent developments in the public domain had prompted the council to reconsider its position. The NSCIA called on the Federal Government and the judiciary to ensure that individuals with vested religious interests were prevented from allegedly using public institutions or the legal system to pursue a sectarian agenda against the former governor. The Islamic body also appealed to members of the public to avoid comments capable of prejudicing El-Rufai’s right to a fair trial or aggravating the country’s security situation. While expressing concern over the possible intrusion of religious considerations into the matter, the council stressed the importance of maintaining peace, stability and security across Nigeria. The intervention comes as the legal proceedings involving the former Kaduna governor continue to attract significant public and political attention.

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