By Ahmed Yusuf, Abuja
National News – Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has threatened legal action against The Nation over what he described as defamatory and malicious publications linking him to an alleged attack on a key witness in his ongoing trial.
In a statement issued on April 19, 2026, and signed by his media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai dismissed a report published by The Nation on April 18 titled “El-Rufai’s Trial: Gunmen Invade Principal Witness Home,” describing it as a calculated attempt to tarnish his reputation and influence judicial proceedings.
The report alleged that Mohammed Umar Karage, a witness in the criminal proceedings at the Kaduna State High Court, reported that armed individuals invaded his residence and linked the incident to his role in the corruption charges against El-Rufai, particularly one of the nine counts involving the alleged unlawful revocation and reallocation of land.
According to the publication, Karage further suggested that the invasion may have been an attempt to silence him, drawing parallels with the controversial disappearance of Kaduna-based activist, Abubakar Idris Dadiyata.
Reacting to the development, El-Rufai described the claims as false, malicious, and defamatory, insisting that he has no connection whatsoever to the alleged incident.
He stated that the publication was deliberately crafted to smear his reputation, jeopardise his pending bail application, and implicate him in serious criminal allegations aimed at securing his continued detention.
El-Rufai further disclosed that he has instructed his legal team to initiate defamation proceedings against those responsible for the publication.
The former governor also alleged that the report forms part of what he described as a sustained campaign of innuendos and vilification against him since 2023, despite his record of public service and contributions to national unity.
The statement emphasised that the rule of law must not be weaponized against any citizen and called for respect for El-Rufai’s constitutional rights and due process as legal proceedings continue.
