Federal Gov’t Now Kisses Bandits, Gives Them Billions — El-Rufai

Former governor of Kaduna State and ex-Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the Federal Government of operating a secret policy of paying bandits and providing them with supplies under the guise of a non-kinetic approach to insecurity.

Speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’, monitored by our correspondent on Sunday night, El-Rufai claimed that the arrangement was being coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), adding that he and others had evidence to back up the claims.

“The Nigerian government has a policy of paying bandits facilitated by the Office of the National Security Adviser. They give cash to bandits and send food to them too. We have the evidence,” El-Rufai said.

Rejecting the dubious approach, the former governor vowed he would never support or engage in negotiations with terrorists.

“What I will not do is to pay bandits, give them a monthly allowance or send food to them in the name of non-kinetic. It is nonsense. We are empowering bandits,” he declared.

When asked if Kaduna State was directly involved, El-Rufai said the policy was not initiated at the state level but driven from Abuja.

“It is not the government of Kaduna State, it is a national policy driven by the Office of the National Security Adviser, and Kaduna is part of it. Many states are objecting, but that is the policy now—kiss the bandits. That is the new policy,” he alleged.

El-Rufai, who has long advocated for a military-first approach to insecurity, doubled down on his hardline stance.

“My position has always been that, the only repentant bandit is a dead one. Let us kill them all, let’s wipe them, let’s bomb them until they are reduced to nothing. Then, the five per cent that still want to be rehabilitated can be rehabilitated. You do not negotiate from a position of weakness, you do not give your enemy money to go and buy more sophisticated weapons,” he said.

The former governor warned that as long as the alleged policy of appeasement continued, insecurity in northern Nigeria would persist.

“That is why the insecurity problem has not gone away and will not go away as long as this policy continues. They can deceive, they can cover up, they can do propaganda, but those that live in Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, know what is happening,” El-Rufai argued.

On the rising wave of attacks in Kaduna, he accused the current state administration of failing to contain banditry, alleging that huge ransoms had been paid in secret.

“I was governor for eight years and only three schools were attacked. This governor has been around for two years and more schools have been attacked. And they pay the bandits. They paid them a billion naira the first time a school was attacked and students were abducted. They are paying bandits, they are apologising to them, they are covering up. Look, let the governor or anyone come and deny, we have the evidence. When the time comes, we will reveal the evidence,” El-Rufai stated.