Olusegun Ariyo
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has rejected claims by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, that the federal government pays or offers incentives to bandits.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by Zakari Mijinyawa for ONSA, the office described El-Rufai’s allegations as baseless and said no arm of the government has ever engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals.
“On the contrary, we have always cautioned Nigerians against paying ransom. El-Rufai’s claims are false and go against the verifiable facts on the ground,” the statement said.
The statement further highlighted the approach the current government uses to address insecurity, stating that, “From the start, this government has pursued a dual approach: strong military operations alongside community engagement to address local grievances. The impact of this strategy is clear in places like Igabi, Birnin Gwari, Giwa, and other areas of Kaduna that once faced severe terror but are now enjoying relative peace.”
The statement also praised the sacrifices of security personnel.
“The efforts of our military and security agencies in capturing or neutralising notorious bandits have been widely reported. In Kaduna alone, key criminals who once terrorised communities, including Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, and Boka, have been eliminated.
“More recently, leaders of Ansaru who had bases in the state were also apprehended. These achievements came at a great cost, with some of our brave officers paying the ultimate price.
“For a former governor like El-Rufai to dismiss these sacrifices on national television is both unfair and deeply disrespectful to the memories of our security personnel,” the statement added.
The office called on El-Rufai and other political actors to refrain from politicising national security issues.
The statement emphasised that the fight against banditry is a collective struggle, not a platform for political point-scoring.
Recall that El-Rufai had on Sunday alleged that the government was paying bandits to dissuade them from killing Nigerians.
