FG Condemns El-Rufai’s Claims on Bandit Payments, Touts Successes in Kaduna

ABUJA – The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has issued a stern rebuke to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, dismissing his claims that the government pays ransoms to bandits as “baseless” and “false.”

The strongly-worded statement, signed by Zakari Mijinyawa for the ONSA, was released on Monday in direct response to an interview El-Rufai gave on national television the previous day.

In the interview, the former governor alleged that the ONSA coordinates a policy of making payments and offering incentives to criminal elements. The security agency flatly denied this.

“At no time has the ONSA, or any arm of government under this administration, engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals,” the statement read. “On the contrary, we have consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom.”

The ONSA argued that El-Rufai’s comments not only lack evidence but also contradict the “verifiable facts on the ground” in states like Kaduna, which he once governed.

The office outlined the government’s security strategy, describing it as a dual approach of “decisive kinetic operations alongside community engagements.” It pointed to several local government areas in Kaduna—including Igabi, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa—as evidence of success, stating these once terror-prone regions are now experiencing “relative peace.”

The statement provided a list of high-profile bandit kingpins neutralised in Kaduna, such as Boderi, Baleri, and Sani Yellow Janburos, and noted the recent apprehension of leaders from the terrorist group, Ansaru.

In its most pointed criticism, the ONSA accused the former governor of disrespecting fallen security personnel.

“These successes came at a cost; some of our brave officers paid the supreme price. For a former governor… to deny these sacrifices on national television is both unfair and deeply insulting to the memories of our security personnel,” the statement said.

Concluding with a call for unity, the security office urged El-Rufai and other political actors to avoid dragging national security institutions into partisan politics, emphasising that the fight against banditry is a “collective struggle, not a platform for political point-scoring.”

As of press time, Mallam El-Rufai has not issued a public response to the ONSA’s statement.