ONSA, El-Rufai clash over alleged payments to bandits

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, have clashed over allegations that the Federal Government is paying monthly allowances and providing incentives to armed bandits under the guise of non-kinetic security measures.

El-Rufai, speaking on Sunday Politics, a Channels Television programme, accused the government of adopting what he described as a “kiss-the-bandits policy” driven by the ONSA.

“What I will not do is 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,” the former governor said.

He argued that such measures embolden criminals and worsen insecurity.

“You don’t empower your enemy; you don’t give him money to go and buy sophisticated weapons. That is why the insecurity problem has not gone away and will not go away as long as this policy continues,” El-Rufai added.

The former minister of the Federal Capital Territory maintained that negotiations and incentives for bandits were counterproductive.

“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,” he insisted.

El-Rufai further claimed that residents of northern states such as Katsina, Zamfara, and Kaduna are aware of the alleged government-backed appeasement.

“They can deceive, they can cover up, they can do propaganda, but those that live in Katsina, those that live in Zamfara, those that live in Kaduna… they know what is happening,” he said, challenging the authorities to deny the allegations. “When the time comes, we will reveal everything.”

ONSA refutes allegations

Reacting to the claims, the ONSA dismissed them as “baseless, misleading, and contrary to facts on ground.”

In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, ONSA spokesperson Zakari Mijinyawa said:

“At no point has the ONSA or any arm of this administration paid ransom or extended inducements to criminal elements. On the contrary, we have consistently advised Nigerians against engaging in ransom payments.”

The NSA’s office described the remarks as an affront to the memory of officers who have died in the fight against terrorism and banditry.

“These remarks are not only unfair but also an insult to the sacrifices of security agencies,” the statement added.

According to ONSA, the current administration is implementing a dual strategy – intense military operations combined with community engagement initiatives – to tackle insecurity. It said this approach has resulted in improved security in Kaduna and other hotspots, including Igabi, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa.

The statement highlighted recent operational successes, such as the elimination or capture of notorious bandit leaders including Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, and Boka. It also disclosed that key commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group, once active in Kaduna, have been apprehended.

“These achievements did not come without a price, as some of our gallant personnel paid the supreme price,” ONSA noted. “For a former governor to disregard these sacrifices and spread misinformation on national television is deeply regrettable.”

The NSA’s office cautioned political actors against dragging national security institutions into partisan controversies, stressing that the fight against banditry should not be turned into a tool for political point-scoring.