National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu has dismissed recent claims by former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, describing them as false, misleading, and disrespectful to Nigeria’s security forces.
El-Rufai’s Allegations on Banditry
Mr El-Rufai, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday night, accused the Federal Government of pampering criminal groups. He alleged that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) coordinates policies that involve paying and feeding bandits under the guise of a non-kinetic approach.
The former governor claimed he would never adopt such methods, stressing that it amounted to “empowering criminals.” He added:
“What I will not do is to pay bandits, give them a monthly allowance, or send food to them in the name of non-kinetic measures. It’s nonsense. We are empowering bandits. It’s not Kaduna State’s policy; it is a national policy driven by the ONSA. Kiss the bandits; that’s the new policy.”
Ribadu’s Firm Response
Reacting swiftly on Monday, the Office of the NSA released a statement signed by Zakari Mijinyawa. It rejected El-Rufai’s claims as “false, baseless, and insulting.”
The statement clarified that at no time had the ONSA or any agency under President Bola Tinubu’s administration engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals. Instead, the government has repeatedly warned Nigerians against paying ransom to kidnappers.
Mr Ribadu’s office highlighted that the current strategy combines decisive military action with community engagement to address local grievances. This dual approach, it said, has produced visible results in Kaduna communities such as Igabi, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa, which previously suffered constant attacks but are now witnessing relative calm.
Recorded Security Achievements
The NSA’s office pointed to several key achievements under the current security framework. These include:
Neutralisation of notorious bandit leaders such as Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, and Boka.
Successful dismantling of Ansaru terror bases in Kaduna State.
Arrest of several terrorist leaders who had terrorised communities for years.
The statement further emphasised that these gains came at a heavy price, with many security operatives sacrificing their lives in the fight against terrorism.
“For a former governor like El-Rufai to dismiss these sacrifices on national television is unfair and deeply insulting to the memories of fallen heroes,” the statement stressed.
Call to Political Actors
The NSA cautioned political figures against dragging security institutions into partisan disputes. According to Ribadu’s office, the war against banditry requires unity, cooperation, and respect, not political point-scoring.
Ribadu–El-Rufai Relationship: From Allies to Rivals
The clash between both men highlights a long-running feud. Once allies in the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Ribadu and El-Rufai worked as reformists, the former as pioneer chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the latter as head of the Bureau of Public Enterprises before becoming the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Their friendship soured in 2011 after Ribadu became the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). El-Rufai opposed him and instead backed Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
In recent years, the rivalry has resurfaced publicly. Earlier this year, El-Rufai accused Ribadu of using anti-graft bodies, including the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), to hound him over alleged corruption during his tenure in Kaduna. Ribadu firmly denied the charge, insisting that anti-corruption agencies act independently without his interference.
Final Analysis
The ongoing dispute between Mr Ribadu and Mr El-Rufai reflects deeper political rivalries within Nigeria’s elite. However, the NSA’s office has maintained that national security is too important to be trivialised or reduced to political arguments.
