The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has refuted claims by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, alleging that the agency facilitates ransom payments and incentives to bandits.
In an interview on Sunday, el-Rufai accused the federal government of paying bandits to discourage them from killing Nigerians.
He criticised what he termed a flawed “non-kinetic” strategy in tackling insecurity, alleging that officials are sustaining bandits with money and food instead of neutralising them.
“What I will not do is to pay bandits, give them a monthly allowance or send food to them. Non-kinetic is nonsense. We are empowering bandits. That’s what is going on,” el-Rufai said.
“It’s a national policy… many states are objecting to it. But that is the policy now.
“My position has always been that the only repentant bandit is a dead one. Let’s wipe them out, bomb them, reduce them to nothing. And then the five percent that still want to be rehabilitated can be rehabilitated.”
‘BASELESS CLAIM’
In a statement signed by Zakari Mijinyawa, ONSA’s head of strategic communications, the office described el-Rufai’s allegations as baseless and false, stressing that neither the agency nor any arm of government has ever paid ransom or offered incentives to criminals.
“On the contrary, we have consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom,” the statement said, adding that the former governor’s remarks contradict verifiable evidence.
“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.”
Mijinyawa noted that the administration’s counter-banditry strategy combines robust military operations with local engagement to resolve grievances.
He also pointed to the successes of security forces in neutralising or capturing notorious warlords, including Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, and Boka.
“Only recently, leaders of Ansaru who previously established bases in Kaduna were apprehended,” the statement added.
Mijinyawa criticised el-Rufai’s “denial of the sacrifices made by security personnel” as “unfair and insulting to their memory”.
The ONSA statement further urged the former governor to desist from politicising national security, stressing that combating banditry is a collective effort and not an avenue for political grandstanding.