VIDEO: ‘Don’t Use Machete To Settle Quarrel’ – El-Rufai Says In Pre-Arrest Message

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has appealed to Nigerians to embrace peaceful and lawful conduct, warning against self-help and mob action as he remains in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Naija News reports that El-Rufai made the appeal in a video released by his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, amid mounting concerns over his continued detention and legal tussle with federal anti-corruption agencies.

In the video, recorded before he honoured an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the former governor acknowledged the possibility of prolonged detention.

“Hello fellow Nigerians. As I leave my home to honour the invitation of the EFCC, I am quite aware of the likelihood that I may be detained and it’s for an indeterminable length of time. So I thought I should leave a few messages for you so that we continue to communicate,” he said.

He stressed that peaceful and lawful behaviour remains the cornerstone of any democratic society.

“Today I want to speak to you about a very important foundation of democratic society which is peaceful and lawful conduct. It is unacceptable for anyone to take the law into his or her own hands. We should abide by the law,” he stated.

El-Rufai urged Nigerians to channel grievances through established institutions rather than resorting to violence.

“We should conduct ourselves peacefully and lawfully and when we have disputes, private disputes, we should take them to the courts. Public disputes, the government will intervene. We also have the police and other law enforcement agencies to help arbitrate in the event of disputes,” he said.

Warning against mob justice, he added: “No one should take a machete to settle a quarrel. There are law enforcement agencies that we can report to. Yes, people may complain about the police, but it is the only police we have. So we should work to make it better.”

He further called on citizens to demand accountability from security agencies while remaining law-abiding.

“We should challenge the police to be better. We should challenge other law enforcement agencies to abide by the law and their rules of conduct and regulations,” he said.

The former governor noted that even seemingly minor violations contribute to a broader culture of indiscipline.

“Peaceful conduct is the foundation of every democracy and if we want to sustain this democracy, which will lead to the progress of our country, we must restrain ourselves from any kind of unlawful conduct, however minor. Whether it is driving on the wrong side of the road or beating traffic lights, these all amount to unlawful conduct and should be discouraged,” he stated.

He concluded with an appeal for strict observance of the rule of law.

The former governor said: “So I want to appeal to all Nigerians to bear this in mind every single day, every single hour and every single second to continue to observe the law and engage in peaceful conduct at all times.”

The video surfaced days after the Federal High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja, declined to entertain his bail application, describing it as premature.

Justice Joyce Obehi Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until April 23, 2026, for proper arraignment.