The Federal Government has dismissed allegations by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, that it was offering incentives to bandits through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
El-Rufai, during a television interview on Sunday, claimed the ONSA was coordinating a policy of paying criminals.
In a statement on Monday, however, ONSA spokesperson, Zakari Mijinyawa, described the allegation as false, stressing that no arm of government under the Tinubu administration had engaged in ransom payments.
“At no time has the ONSA, or any arm of government under this administration, engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals,” Mijinyawa said.
He explained that the administration had instead adopted a twin strategy of military action and community engagement, which had produced results in Kaduna communities such as Igabi, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa.
According to him, several notorious bandit leaders — including Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, and Boka — had been neutralised, while leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group were recently apprehended.
“These successes came at a cost, as some of our brave officers paid the supreme price,” he added. “For a former governor to deny these sacrifices on national television is both unfair and deeply insulting to the memories of our security personnel.”
The ONSA urged El-Rufai and other political leaders to avoid dragging security agencies into partisan disputes, insisting that the fight against banditry was a shared national responsibility.