Abuja — September 1, 2025
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has dismissed as false recent claims by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, that the federal government was coordinating a policy of making payments or offering incentives to bandits.
In a statement issued on Monday, ONSA described El-Rufai’s allegation, made during a television interview, as baseless and contradictory to established facts. The agency emphasized that no arm of the current administration has ever engaged in ransom payments to criminals.
“On the contrary, we have consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom,” the statement read, stressing that government’s approach to tackling insecurity combines decisive military action with community engagement to address local grievances.
According to ONSA, this strategy has yielded significant gains in areas of Kaduna State once plagued by attacks, including Igabi, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa, where relative peace has been restored. It further highlighted the military’s success in neutralizing or capturing several notorious bandit leaders such as Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, and Boka, as well as the arrest of Ansaru commanders who once operated in the state.
The agency noted that many security operatives had paid the ultimate price in the fight against banditry, describing El-Rufai’s remarks as “deeply unfair and insulting” to the memories of fallen officers.
ONSA urged the former governor and other political leaders to avoid dragging national security efforts into partisan disputes, insisting that the battle against banditry is a collective responsibility requiring unity rather than division.