ONSA Rebukes El-Rufai, Denies Bandits Payment Claims

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has refuted claims by the immediate-past governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, that the federal government was operating a policy of ransom payments and offer of incentives to bandits.

El-Rufai made the claims when he appeared on a television programme on Sunday night.

But, a statement by signed by ONSA spokesperson, Zakari Mijinyawa, on Monday, described El-Rufai’s claims on TV as baseless.

He said, “At no time has the ONSA, or any arm of government under this administration, engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals.”

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Explaining further, he said on the contrary, “we have consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom.”

The statement noted that El-Rufai’s allegations were not only false but also contradicted verifiable facts on ground.

“From inception, this government adopted a dual strategy: decisive kinetic operations alongside community engagements aimed at addressing local grievances. The result is evident in areas such as Igabi, Birnin Gwari, Giwa, and other parts of Kaduna that once suffered untold terror in Kaduna state but are now experiencing relative peace.

“The efforts of our gallant military and security agencies in capturing or eliminating notorious bandits have been widely reported in the media. In Kaduna alone, known kingpins as who once terrorised residents such as Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari and Boka, among others, were eliminated. Only recently, leaders of Ansaru who previously established bases in Kaduna were apprehended,” he said.

He noted that the successes came at a cost, as some of the brave officers paid the supreme price.

“For a former governor of a state in person of El-Rufai to deny these sacrifices on national television is both unfair and deeply insulting to the memories of our security personnel.

“We urge El-Rufai and all political actors to desist from dragging national security institutions into partisan battles,” he stated.

The ONSA spokesperson reiterated that the fight against banditry is a collective struggle, not a platform for political point-scoring.