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The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has denied allegations made by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, that the federal security apparatus coordinates payments and inducements to bandits.
In a statement signed on Monday by Zakari Mijinyawa on behalf of ONSA, the agency described the claims as false and contrary to verifiable facts. It stressed that neither ONSA nor any arm of government under the current administration has ever engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminal groups.
El-Rufai, speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, accused the Federal Government of adopting a “kiss-the-bandits” policy. He alleged that authorities prefer negotiating and compensating armed groups instead of confronting them militarily. According to him, such a “non-kinetic” policy only ends up empowering criminals.
However, ONSA said El-Rufai’s comments were unfair, particularly to the memory of security personnel who have died in the fight against banditry. The office explained that government’s approach has been a dual strategy, combining military operations with community engagement aimed at addressing local grievances.
The statement added that the impact of this strategy can be seen in parts of Kaduna such as Igabi, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa, which once faced serious insecurity but are now enjoying relative peace.
“It is deeply insulting for a former governor to make such unfounded remarks on national television, especially when many security officers have sacrificed their lives in this fight,” the statement read.
ONSA also cautioned political actors against dragging national security institutions into partisan battles, saying that the fight against banditry should not be used for political point-scoring,
