National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, are at loggerheads over claims that the federal government is secretly paying ransom to bandits.
El-Rufai, speaking on a TV programme, alleged that billions of naira have been spent to free kidnap victims, accusing the government of suppressing media reports on insecurity. He argued that the situation in Kaduna and other northern states is worse than before, insisting that terrorists should be dealt with decisively rather than negotiated with.
But Ribadu swiftly denied the claims, describing them as “false and baseless.” In a statement issued on Monday, the NSA said no arm of government has paid or offered inducements to bandits under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He stressed that security forces have recorded major gains in Kaduna and other hotspots, eliminating several notorious kingpins and restoring relative calm in previously troubled areas. Ribadu also criticized El-Rufai’s remarks as unfair to fallen soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the fight against banditry.
The NSA urged political leaders to avoid dragging national security into partisan disputes, saying the fight against insecurity requires unity, not division.
