Bashir El-Rufai, the son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has apologized following backlash over his controversial comment on X (formerly Twitter).
Bashir, known for his brash social media presence, had posted a controversial remark suggesting that the killings in Southern Kaduna would persist if residents continued to attack Fulani herdsmen.
It is your stupid mother that is an elephant. And Southern Kaduna residents will keep seeing sheghe (trouble or suffering) if they continue to attack indigenous Fulani herdsmen. Oloshi,” Bashir wrote in response to an X user, @qykali, who had accused his father of overseeing “industrial-scale ethnic cleansing” in the region during his tenure as governor.
The term sheghe (shege)—a Hausa slang implying severe suffering—was perceived as an endorsement of violence, igniting outrage from many Nigerians who saw it as an attempt to justify the recurring massacres in Southern Kaduna, where suspected herdsmen have repeatedly attacked communities.
Following the backlash, Bashir deleted the tweet and later offered an apology, admitting that his initial post was “in bad taste.”
My tweet about Southern Kaduna residents & persecuted Fulani herdsmen was in bad taste & also badly written in an attempt to make a point in the heat of the moment. I apologize for that to those that know me, and are aware that I don’t harbor such sentiments,” he wrote on X.
