Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, has criticised former Kaduna State Governor and leading opposition figure Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for his recent comments on national security.
In a statement issued by his office on Monday, Ribadu dismissed El-Rufai’s claims that the Federal Government has been paying ransoms or offering incentives to bandits, calling the allegations unfounded.
El-Rufai, during a television interview on Sunday, had alleged that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) was coordinating a policy of negotiating with criminal elements.
Responding to the accusation, ONSA insisted that no arm of government under the present administration has ever engaged in such practices. It stressed that rather than offering inducements, the government has repeatedly warned Nigerians against paying ransoms to criminal groups.
According to the statement, the administration adopted a two-pronged security strategy from its inception, combining decisive military action with sustained community engagement to tackle local grievances fuelling insecurity.
The approach, ONSA said, has produced visible results in Kaduna communities such as Igabi, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa, areas once plagued by frequent attacks that are now experiencing relative calm.
The office pointed to significant achievements by security forces in Kaduna, including the neutralisation of notorious bandit leaders like Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, and Boka, as well as the capture of leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group who had set up operational bases in the state.
While acknowledging that these gains have come at great cost, ONSA expressed disappointment over El-Rufai’s remarks, describing them as a disservice to the sacrifices of security personnel who have laid down their lives.
It warned political actors to avoid dragging national security institutions into partisan disputes.
“The fight against banditry is a collective struggle, not a platform for political point-scoring,” the statement added.
