FG denies El-Rufai’s allegation of empowering bandits

The Federal Government has dismissed allegations by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai that it operates a policy of paying and empowering bandits.

In a statement issued on Monday by Zakari Mijinyawa on behalf of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the claim was described as false and baseless.

The statement read, “In that interview, he alleged, falsely, that the ONSA coordinates a policy of payments and offers incentives to bandits. This claim is baseless. At no time has the ONSA, or any arm of government under this administration, engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals. On the contrary, we have consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom. El-Rufai’s allegations are not only false but also contradict verifiable facts on the ground.”

The government maintained that it had adopted a dual approach of decisive military operations and community engagement to address insecurity, leading to improved security in parts of Kaduna State like Igabi, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa. It highlighted recent successes, including the arrest of key Ansaru leaders, stressing that these gains came at the cost of military lives.

“It is deeply insulting to the memories of our fallen security personnel for a former governor to deny their sacrifices,” the statement added, urging political figures to avoid politicizing national security matters.

El-Rufai, in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, accused the federal government of pursuing a “kiss-the-bandits policy,” alleging that bandits were being paid allowances and given food supplies under a “non-kinetic” approach. He said, “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’s nonsense; we’re empowering bandits. It’s not the government of Kaduna State; it’s a national policy driven by the Office of the National Security Adviser, and Kaduna is part of it. Kiss the bandits; that’s the new policy.”

The former minister and two-term governor argued that rehabilitating bandits without making them face justice was fueling insecurity, insisting, “The only repentant bandit is a dead one. Let’s kill them all. Let’s bomb them until they are reduced to nothing, and then the five per cent that still want to be rehabilitated can be rehabilitated.”

He also said residents of Kaduna, Katsina, and Zamfara could attest to the failure of such policies, accusing the government of propaganda and cover-ups.