The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has raised concerns over what it described as indications of an underlying religious bias in the ongoing prosecution of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.

The NSCIA warned against the weaponisation of public institutions and the legal system for sectarian purposes.

The apex Islamic body, in a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its Secretary-General, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said recent developments surrounding the former governor’s case had raised serious concerns that extraneous interests might be influencing the process.

The Council said it had deliberately refrained from commenting on the controversy because it initially considered the matter a normal judicial process and trusted the judiciary to discharge its constitutional responsibility.

It, however, said developments in the public domain had changed its assessment of the situation.

“Recent developments in the public domain have raised serious concerns that strongly suggest an extraneous involvement of an underlying religious bias against the former Governor,” the Council said.

The NSCIA consequently called on the Federal Government and the judiciary to ensure that individuals with vested religious interests were not allowed to use public institutions or the legal system to pursue a sectarian agenda against El-Rufai.

“Consequently, the Council calls upon the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Judiciary to ensure that individuals with vested religious interests are strictly prevented from weaponizing public institutions or the legal system to execute a sectarian agenda against him,” it said.

The Council's intervention comes days after the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), made allegations against El-Rufai during an appearance on Channels Television's Politics Today.

Musa had accused the former governor of creating conditions that fuelled division and violence in Kaduna State.

He alleged El-Rufai deliberately planned the killing of people in Southern Kaduna.

The allegations provoked a strong reaction from El-Rufai's family and legal team, with the family giving the minister seven days to produce evidence supporting the claim or retract it and apologise.

El-Rufai's lawyers also demanded N10 billion in damages over what they described as defamatory remarks.

The Council further urged Nigerians to exercise restraint in their public comments on the case, warning that inflammatory statements could prejudice the ongoing trial and worsen the country's already fragile security situation.