By Bavoriat Clara
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has dismissed allegations made by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, that the Federal Government is coordinating ransom payments and offering incentives to bandits.
In a statement signed by Zakari Mijinyawa on behalf of the ONSA, the office described the claims made by El-Rufai during a television interview on Sunday as baseless and contrary to facts on the ground.
“At no time has the ONSA, or any arm of government under this administration, engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals,” the statement said. “On the contrary, we have consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom.”
The office stressed that since inception, the administration has adopted a dual strategy of decisive military operations combined with community engagements to address local grievances fueling insecurity.
It noted that this approach has yielded significant improvements in Igabi, Birnin Gwari, Giwa, and other parts of Kaduna State that once faced persistent attacks.
Highlighting recent gains, ONSA stated that several notorious bandit kingpins including Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, and Boka have been eliminated, while leaders of the Ansaru terror group who previously maintained bases in Kaduna were recently apprehended.
“These successes came at a cost, with some of our gallant officers paying the supreme price,” the statement added. “
For a former governor to dismiss these sacrifices on national television is unfair and deeply insulting to the memories of our security personnel.”
The ONSA urged El-Rufai and other political leaders to refrain from dragging national security institutions into partisan disputes, emphasising that the fight against banditry is a shared national responsibility, not a platform for political point-scoring.
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