The Chief of Defence Operations, Major General Emeka Onumajuru, has stated that the Nigerian Armed Forces do not support making financial payments to bandits terrorising parts of the country, insisting that such actions have never worked.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Onumajuru clarified that the military is not involved in any arrangement to pay criminals. Instead, he explained, repentant fighters are processed through a national Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) framework, coordinated by the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
According to him, the DDR programme, anchored around Operation Safe Corridor in Gombe State and Zamfara State, offers an alternative path for individuals who voluntarily surrender their weapons. He noted that thorough profiling determines culpability: those found guilty face the law, while others, including those forcibly conscripted, are admitted into rehabilitation centres.
Onumajuru also stressed that border communities must play an active role in strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture.
His remarks followed comments by former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, who accused the Federal Government of “empowering bandits” by paying them monthly allowances and sending food in the name of non-kinetic measures. He described the policy as a “kiss-the-bandits” approach, which, he argued, fuels insecurity.
The Office of the National Security Adviser swiftly dismissed the allegation as baseless. In a statement signed by Zakari Mijinyawa, ONSA maintained that it has never coordinated or supported ransom payments, emphasising that the administration continues to warn Nigerians against such practices.