ABUJA, Nigeria – The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has rejected claims by former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, that the federal government encourages banditry through ransom payments.
El-Rufai, in a Sunday TV interview, alleged that government agencies provided incentives to bandits. But ONSA, in a Monday statement by Zakari Mijinyawa, dismissed the allegations as “baseless.”
“No arm of government has ever engaged in inducements to criminals. On the contrary, we have consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom,” the statement read.
ONSA highlighted military successes in Kaduna, including the elimination of notorious kingpins like Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari, and Boka, as well as recent arrests of Ansaru leaders.
“For a former governor to deny these sacrifices is unfair and deeply insulting to our fallen heroes,” Mijinyawa said, urging politicians not to drag security institutions into partisan disputes.
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