The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has dismissed as “baseless” allegations by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, that the Federal Government has been paying ransom or offering inducements to criminals.
In a statement in Abuja, ONSA’s Director of Legal Services, Zakari Mijinyawa, said El-Rufai’s claims “are not only false but also contradict verifiable facts on ground,” stressing that no agency under the present administration has engaged in ransom payments.
According to the ONSA, the Tinubu administration adopted a dual strategy from inception, combining decisive military operations with community engagement. It cited improved security in Igabi, Birnin Gwari, Giwa and other parts of Kaduna State once plagued by banditry.
The office highlighted the elimination of notorious bandit leaders such as Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari and Boka, as well as the recent arrest of Ansaru commanders who had established bases in Kaduna.
“For a former governor to deny these sacrifices on national television is both unfair and deeply insulting to the memories of our security personnel,” the statement noted.
The ONSA urged El-Rufai and other political figures to avoid dragging security institutions into partisan disputes, stressing that the fight against terrorism and banditry “is a collective struggle, not a platform for political point-scoring.”
