Armed Forces deny allegations of paying bandits, clarify counter-insurgency strategy
Story by Susan Mbamah
The Nigerian Armed Forces have strongly denied allegations that they provide financial support to armed bandits. They insist that their counter-insurgency strategy does not include paying ransom or monthly allowances to criminal groups.
On Tuesday, Major General Emeka Onumajuru, the Chief of Defence Operations, addressed these claims on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily. He emphasized that paying criminals only makes them bolder, rather than helping to stop their activities.
“The armed forces of Nigeria do not support the payment of money to criminal groups. We are not part of any such arrangement,” Onumajuru stated.
Instead of rewarding criminals, he explained, the military works with the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) on a national Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) program.
This program, which includes Operation Safe Corridor in Gombe and Zamfara states, is designed to rehabilitate repentant insurgents and those who were forcibly conscripted after they voluntarily surrender their weapons.
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Onumajuru clarified that surrendered individuals are thoroughly vetted to determine their guilt. “Those found guilty face the law, while others particularly those conscripted against their will are transferred to DDR centres for rehabilitation,” he explained.
He stressed that the DDR program is not a free pass for criminals but a structured system that balances justice with opportunities for reintegration.
This clarification comes after the former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, alleged on Sunday that the Federal Government had adopted a “kiss-the-bandits policy” involving paying allowances and sending food to terrorists.
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“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 measures. It’s nonsense; we’re empowering bandits.
This is a national policy driven by the Office of the National Security Adviser, and Kaduna is part of it,” El-Rufai said on Sunday Politics. He argued that this rehabilitation-focused policy undermines justice and worsens insecurity.
In response, the ONSA swiftly dismissed El-Rufai’s claims as “false and baseless.” A statement from ONSA spokesperson, Zakari Mijinyawa, said the current administration has never engaged in paying ransom or offering inducements to criminals.
“El-Rufai’s allegations are not only false but contradict verifiable facts on the ground. On the contrary, we have consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom to criminal elements,” the statement read.
Major General Onumajuru also highlighted the importance of community engagement in border security, noting that local populations must feel a sense of responsibility to help protect Nigeria’s porous frontiers.
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