The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has come out strongly against former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over allegations that the government is secretly paying bandits.
In a statement released on Monday and signed by Zakari Mijinyawa from the NSA’s office, Ribadu dismissed El-Rufai’s claims as false, baseless, and an insult to the sacrifices of Nigeria’s security forces.
El-Rufai had alleged during a TV interview that the NSA was coordinating ransom payments and incentives to criminals, but Ribadu countered that no arm of government under this administration has ever engaged in such practices.
According to the NSA, the government’s real approach has been a mix of tough military action and local community engagement — a strategy that has brought relative peace to once-troubled areas like Igabi, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa in Kaduna State.
He highlighted that notorious bandit leaders like Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, and others have either been eliminated or captured, thanks to the relentless efforts of security agencies. Ribadu stressed that some officers even paid the ultimate price in these battles, making El-Rufai’s claims deeply disrespectful to their memory.
He urged political leaders to avoid dragging national security into partisan fights, reminding Nigerians that the war against banditry is a collective struggle, not a tool for political point-scoring.
