The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has debunked claims by former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, that it pays ransom to bandits.
ONSA further stressed that it has warned Nigerians to not pay ransoms no matter the situation.
Describing the claims as false in a statement signed on Monday 1 September 2025 in Abuja by Zakari Mijinyawa from the office of the National Security Adviser, it denied paying incentives to bandits.
On Sunday, appearing in a television interview, El-Rufai had alleged that the ONSA coordinates a policy of payments and offers incentives to bandits. A claim which the ONSA debunked as baseless.
“At no time has the ONSA, or any arm of government under this administration, engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals,”it said.
The office added that it has consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom adding that El-Rufai’s allegations are not only false but also contradict verifiable facts on ground.
The statement highlighted dual strategies adopted by the government to address local grievances.
The statement added; “From inception, this government adopted a dual strategy: decisive kinetic operations alongside community engagements aimed at addressing local grievances. The result is evident in areas such as Igabi, Birnin Gwari, Giwa, and other parts of Kaduna that once suffered untold terror in Kaduna state but are now experiencing relative peace.
“The efforts of our gallant military and security agencies in capturing or eliminating notorious bandits have been widely reported in the media. In Kaduna alone, known kingpins as who once terrorised residents such as Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari and Boka, among others, were eliminated. Only recently, leaders of Ansaru who previously established bases in Kaduna were apprehended.
“These successes came at a cost, some of our brave officers paid the supreme price. For a former governor of a state in person of El-Rufai to deny these sacrifices on national television is both unfair and deeply insulting to the memories of our security personnel.”
The office urged El-Rufai and all political actors to desist from dragging national security institutions into partisan battles.
“The fight against banditry is a collective struggle, not a platform for political point-scoring,” it concluded.
