ONSA Refutes El-Rufai’s Claims, Reaffirms Commitment to Ending Banditry

Sonic Media
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By Harriet Tornguvan -Abuja 

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has dismissed allegations by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, that the Federal Government is funding or offering incentives to bandits.

In a statement issued by ONSA spokesperson, Zakari Mijinyawa, the office described El-Rufai’s remarks, made during a television interview on Sunday, as “baseless and misleading.”

"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, Nigerians have been consistently warned against paying ransom to perpetrators of crime, he stated.


The ONSA emphasized that since the inception of the current administration, the government has pursued a dual approach to tackling insecurity: decisive military operations combined with community engagement to address local grievances.

This strategy, the statement noted, has led to significant gains in Kaduna State, particularly in Igabi, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa Local Government Areas, which were once notorious hotspots for banditry but are now witnessing relative peace.

Security agencies, in collaboration with the military, have recorded major successes, including the neutralization of notorious bandit leaders such as Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, and Boka. 

Additionally, leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, who had previously established bases in Kaduna, were recently apprehended.

The ONSA further highlighted that these achievements have come at a cost, as several security operatives have made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight against criminality.

"For a former governor to deny these sacrifices on national television is both unfair and deeply insulting to the memories of our fallen heroes,” the statement added.


However, the office called on political leaders to refrain from dragging national security institutions into partisan disputes, stressing that the fight against banditry is a shared responsibility that requires unity and support from all stakeholders.
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