The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has strongly denied claims by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, that it coordinates policies involving payments and incentives to bandits.
In a statement signed by Zakari Mijinyawa, ONSA described the allegation, made during El-Rufai’s recent television interview, as “false and baseless.” The office stressed that neither it nor any arm of the present administration has ever authorized ransom payments or inducements to criminals. Instead, Nigerians have consistently been warned against paying ransom to kidnappers and bandits.
According to the statement, the federal government’s security strategy combines decisive military action with community engagement to tackle local grievances. ONSA cited relative peace now being enjoyed in Igabi, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa areas of Kaduna—once hotspots of bandit violence—as proof of the approach’s success.
It further highlighted recent security gains, including the elimination of notorious bandit leaders such as Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, and Boka, as well as the arrest of Ansaru commanders previously operating in Kaduna. The statement noted that these victories were achieved at great cost, with some security personnel paying the ultimate price.
ONSA described El-Rufai’s remarks as dismissive of those sacrifices and urged political leaders to avoid dragging national security institutions into partisan disputes. “The fight against banditry is a collective struggle, not a platform for political point-scoring,” the statement concluded.
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