El-Rufai accuses FG of empowering bandits, ONSA dismisses allegations as baseless
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) are in a heated dispute regarding the federal government’s approach to insecurity in northern Nigeria.
Speaking on Channels Television, El-Rufai accused the Tinubu administration of “empowering bandits” by allegedly paying them monthly allowances and providing them with food under a “non-kinetic engagement” policy. He called this a “kiss-the-bandits” policy and stated, “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.” He insisted that the only solution is a ruthless military response, adding, “My position has always been [that] 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.”
In response, the ONSA, through a statement signed by Zakari Mijinyawa, denied El-Rufai’s allegations, calling them “false, baseless, and insulting.” The statement asserted that neither the NSA’s office nor any government arm had paid ransoms or offered inducements to criminals.
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Instead, it highlighted successful military operations that have eliminated bandit kingpins like Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, and Boka, and led to the release of 11,259 hostages between 2023 and 2025. The ONSA accused El-Rufai of disrespecting the sacrifices of security personnel.
National Security Adviser Malam Nuhu Ribadu supported this position, stating that there has been a “drastic reduction” in killings and kidnappings under the current administration compared to the previous one.
He attributed this to a unified security strategy and inter-agency coordination. Ribadu also reiterated his appeal to citizens to stop paying ransoms, which he says fuels criminal activities.
While El-Rufai advocates for a hard-line military approach, the government maintains that a mix of “kinetic and non-kinetic” strategies is yielding positive results.
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