The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has strongly rejected claims by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, that the federal government is making payments or offering incentives to bandits operating in the country.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, ONSA spokesperson Zakari Mijinyawa described the allegation, which El-Rufai made during a television interview on Sunday, as “unfounded, misleading, and contrary to facts on ground.”
“At no point has the ONSA or any arm of this administration paid ransom or extended inducements to criminal elements,” Mijinyawa said. “On the contrary, we have consistently advised Nigerians against engaging in ransom payments.”
The NSA’s office expressed displeasure over the comments, noting that they undermine the sacrifices of security agencies battling insurgency and banditry across the country.
“These remarks are not only unfair but also an affront to the memory of officers who have laid down their lives in the fight against terrorism and banditry,” the statement added.
According to ONSA, the current administration is pursuing a two-pronged strategy—sustained military offensives alongside community engagement initiatives—to tackle insecurity. It said the approach has yielded significant gains in Kaduna and other hotspots, with improved security in Igabi, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa local government areas.
The statement also listed recent operational successes, including the elimination or capture of notorious bandit leaders such as Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, and Boka. It further disclosed that key commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group, once active in Kaduna, have been apprehended.
“These achievements did not come without a price, as some of our gallant personnel paid the supreme price,” ONSA noted. “For a former governor to disregard these sacrifices and peddle misinformation on national television is deeply regrettable.”
The office warned politicians against politicising national security issues, stressing that the fight against terrorism and banditry requires unity rather than divisive rhetoric.
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