By Ajewole Joshua|ABNews| September 1, 2025
Abuja, September 1, 2025 — The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has strongly dismissed allegations made by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, that the federal government pays or offers incentives to bandits as part of its counter-terrorism strategy.
In a television interview on Sunday, El-Rufai accused the ONSA of coordinating a policy that involves ransom payments to criminals. However, ONSA, in a statement issued on Monday and signed by its spokesperson, Zakari Mijinyawa, described the claims as “baseless and false,” stressing that no arm of government under the present administration has ever engaged in such practices.
“At no time has the ONSA, or any arm of government under this administration, engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals. On the contrary, we have consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom,” the statement read.
According to the ONSA, the federal government has since inception adopted a dual strategy that combines decisive military operations with community engagement to address insecurity. The statement noted that this approach has yielded significant results in areas like Igabi, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa in Kaduna State — communities that were once plagued by terror but are now experiencing relative peace.
The ONSA also highlighted the achievements of security forces, recalling how notorious bandit leaders including Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, and Boka were neutralized in military operations. It added that several leaders of Ansaru, a terrorist group with established bases in Kaduna, have also been arrested in recent months.
“These successes did not come without sacrifices,” ONSA emphasized, noting that many gallant officers paid the ultimate price in the fight against banditry. “For a former governor like El-Rufai to deny these sacrifices on national television is both unfair and insulting to the memories of our security personnel.”
The statement urged political actors to refrain from dragging national security institutions into partisan disputes, stressing that the fight against banditry is a collective struggle requiring unity, not political point-scoring.
