El-Rufai Cries Foul Over Alleged Orchestrated Smear Campaign, Moves to Sue Over Report

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has alleged that there is a coordinated attempt to damage his reputation following a media report linking him to an alleged attack on a prosecution witness.

His media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, issued a statement on Sunday denying the allegations and describing them as part of a deliberate smear campaign.

The controversy stems from a report published by The Nation on April 18 titled “El-Rufai’s trial: Gunmen invade principal witness home,” which suggested a witness in an ongoing case experienced an attack allegedly tied to proceedings involving the former governor.

Adekeye said the publication contained “innuendos suggestive of a plot to frame Malam Nasir El-Rufai,” insisting it was intended to harm his reputation.

“Any objective reader would recognise the clear intent behind these statements: to smear Malam Nasir El-Rufai’s reputation, jeopardise his pending bail application at the Kaduna State High Court, and implicate him in serious capital offences,” the statement said.

El-Rufai denied all allegations, stating he has “no connection whatsoever to the incidents described,” and confirmed he has instructed his lawyers to pursue defamation action.

The statement also detailed his recent encounters with anti-graft agencies, including an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on February 16, 2026, following an attempted arrest at Abuja airport.

He was subsequently detained and transferred to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, where he remains in custody and has been arraigned in two separate high courts.

The statement further claimed that El-Rufai has faced sustained attacks since 2023.

“Since 2023, Malam El-Rufai has been subjected to an appalling and sustained campaign of innuendos and vilification,” it said.

It concluded with a call for respect for due process: “The rule of law must never be perverted into a tool of oppression. Legal processes should serve the ends of justice, not be employed to deny a citizen his fundamental right to liberty while he stands trial.”

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