The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has dismissed allegations made by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai that the federal government is secretly making payments or offering incentives to bandits.
ONSA in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by the Head, Strategic Communication Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, described El-Rufai’s comments in a television interview on Sunday, as false, baseless and unfair.
Mijinyawa said at no time has ONSA or any arm of government under this administration, engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals.
He said that on the contrary, the administration has consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom.
The statement highlighted what it called verifiable gains in the fight against banditry across Kaduna State, citing improved security in Igabi, Birnin Gwari, Giwa and other areas that previously suffered sustained attacks.
It also listed recent military operations that neutralized or captured notorious bandit leaders, including Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, Boka, and the leaders of the Ansaru sect who once had bases in Kaduna were also apprehended.
MUST READ: Nigeria seeks extra EU support to tackle insecurity
Mijinyawa also stated that these successes came at a cost, as some of the nation’s brave security officers paid the supreme price, adding that El-Rufai’s comments are deeply insulting to the memories of the nation’s security personnel.
The security adviser’s office urged political leaders to avoid dragging national security institutions into partisan disputes, stressing that the fight against banditry is a collective struggle, not a platform for political point-scoring.
(Editor: Okechukwu Eze)
