Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Katsina State Government has vehemently denied explosive allegations by a prominent security analyst that it sponsored notorious bandit leaders to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, paying as much as N10 million for each individual. The accusations, made by Dr. Bashir Kurfi, Convener of the Katsina Community Security Initiative, during an interview with Trust TV, have ignited a fierce political firestorm and raised urgent questions about the use of public funds and the government's strategy for tackling insecurity in one of Nigeria's most volatile states.
Dr. Kurfi's allegations, which surfaced on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, are among the most serious leveled against the administration of Governor Dikko Umaru Radda. Speaking on the programme, Kurfi claimed, “In Katsina, it is alleged that the government paid about N10 million for each bandit to go to Saudi Arabia for Hajj”. He also asserted that the Katsina State Government is currently engaged in talks with some bandit leaders. The allegations come at a time when the North-West region is grappling with a devastating security crisis, with banditry, kidnapping, and communal violence displacing thousands and crippling agricultural livelihoods.
The Katsina State Government responded with extraordinary speed and force. In a statement issued on Wednesday evening by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasir Muazu, the government dismissed the claims as “entirely baseless, unfounded, and devoid of any factual basis”. The government described the allegation as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and undermine the ongoing efforts of security agencies in the state.
The government's statement went further, issuing a direct challenge to Dr. Kurfi and other accusers. “The government challenges the purveyors of these allegations to substantiate their claims with credible and verifiable evidence,” the statement read. It warned that failure to provide such evidence would leave the government with no option but to explore all lawful means to protect its reputation and hold those responsible accountable for spreading false and defamatory information.
The government framed the allegations as a politically motivated distraction, arguing that they surfaced at a time when security agencies, with state support, had recorded significant successes against banditry. It accused unnamed individuals and groups of politicising security issues for personal gain and being dissatisfied with the government's refusal to support what it described as “questionable schemes and fraudulent ventures”. The government urged residents and Nigerians to disregard the allegations and continue supporting security operations.
As of the time of this report, Dr. Bashir Kurfi has not publicly responded to the government's ultimatum. The absence of an official response from the Katsina State Government to the broader claim of ongoing negotiations with bandit leaders also leaves a significant gap in the public's understanding of the state's security strategy. The government has focused its denial solely on the Hajj sponsorship allegation.
The allegations and the government's forceful denial raise several critical questions. If true, what safeguards are in place to ensure public funds are not being used to incentivize criminal actors? The Katsina State Government's statement, while denying the specific allegation, did not outline any existing mechanisms to prevent such misuse of funds. The lack of transparency regarding security expenditure and negotiations with non-state armed groups has long been a point of contention in Nigeria's North-West. The government's threat of legal action, while a standard response, does little to address the underlying concerns about accountability and the potential for public funds to be diverted in the name of peace negotiations. The onus is now on both the government to provide a detailed account of its security spending and on Dr. Kurfi to substantiate his grave allegations with evidence.
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