The Federal Government has denied allegations made by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai that it empowers bandits through a policy of payments and incentives.
In a statement released on Monday, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) described El-Rufai’s claims as “baseless” and contradicted by verifiable facts.
It reads thus: “In that interview, El Rufai alleged, falsely, that the ONSA coordinates a policy of payments and offers incentives to bandits. This claim is baseless.
“At no time has the ONSA, or any arm of government under this administration, engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals”, it added.
It further states, “On the contrary, we have consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom.
”El-Rufai’s allegations are not only false but also contradict verifiable facts on the ground,” the statement signed by Zakari Mijinyawa for the Office of the National Security Adviser, partly read.
It explained that from inception, the government adopted a dual strategy, decisive kinetic operations and community engagements, aimed at addressing local grievances.
“The result is evident in areas such as Igabi, Birnin Gwari, Giwa, and other parts of Kaduna that once suffered untold terror in Kaduna state but are now experiencing relative peace.
“The efforts of our gallant military and security agencies in capturing or eliminating notorious bandits have been widely reported in the media.
”Recently, leaders of Ansaru, who previously established bases in Kaduna, were apprehended,” it stated.
The ONSA said it was unfair and insulting to the memories of our security personnel for El-Rufai to deny the sacrifices made by the military.
It added, “These successes came at a cost; some of our brave officers paid the supreme price.
”For a former governor of a state in the person of El-Rufai to deny these sacrifices on national television is both unfair and deeply insulting to the memories of our security personnel.
“We urge El-Rufai and all political actors to desist from dragging national security institutions into partisan battles.
“The fight against banditry is a collective struggle, not a platform for political point-scoring.”
El-Rufai has on Sunday, accused the government of adopting a “kiss-the-bandits” policy, claiming that bandits receive monthly allowances and food under the guise of non-kinetic engagement.
He expressed frustration over what he sees as a policy that rehabilitates bandits rather than holding them accountable for their crimes.
The ONSA emphasised that neither it nor any government arm has engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals.
Instead, the government had consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransoms, which could fuel further criminal activities.
The office highlighted the success of its dual strategy, combining decisive kinetic operations with community engagements to address local grievances.
It noted that The approach had led to relative peace in areas like Igabi, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa, which previously suffered from banditry.
The Federal Government urged El-Rufai and other political actors to refrain from dragging national security institutions into partisan battles, emphasising that the fight against banditry was a collective struggle that requires unity and support for security agencies.
Meanwhile, El-Rufai’s claims have sparked controversy, with some groups like the Birnin-Gwari Vanguard for Security and Good Governance dismissing his allegations as “lies and half-truths”.
The group highlighted the success of a community-driven peace initiative in Birnin-Gwari, which has brought relative stability and economic activity back to the area without involving payments to bandits.
