Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party's vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has called for a formal investigation into former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai's recent claims that the Nigerian government is paying bandits. Speaking on Channels Television's "Politics Today" on Tuesday, Baba-Ahmed stated that the allegations are too serious to be dismissed with a simple denial and that El-Rufai should be questioned by security agencies. "Nasir should be writing some statements to the police, to the courts," he said.
El-Rufai, in a separate television interview, had alleged that both the federal government and the Kaduna state government were providing "monthly allowances" and food supplies to bandits as part of a "non-kinetic" approach to security. He described this as a "kiss-the-bandits" policy and insisted that the only way to end banditry was through decisive military force. The former governor also alleged that state actors were involved in "greasing the palms" of non-state armed groups in Kaduna and surrounding states.
In response, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) issued a statement on Monday dismissing El-Rufai's claims as "baseless" and "false." According to a statement signed by Zakari Mijinyawa for the ONSA, the federal government has never engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals. The ONSA statement further described the allegations as insulting to the sacrifices made by security personnel who have lost their lives in the fight against banditry. The Nigerian Armed Forces also rejected the claims, stating that they do not support paying money to criminal groups.
Baba-Ahmed, however, criticized the ONSA's rebuttal, calling it an inadequate response to the gravity of the matter. He questioned why El-Rufai would make such a declaration if it were not true, stating, "If the so-called office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, would take this statement with levity, then Nuhu Ribadu was never a policeman; he is not a qualified lawyer; he should not be in that office." He further contended that insecurity in the country had been "politicized and orchestrated" by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and that El-Rufai's comments appeared to confirm this.
El-Rufai, despite the backlash from the ONSA and the Kaduna State Government, has doubled down on his claims, accusing the agencies of "politicizing security" and deflecting from the core issues he raised. He has challenged authorities to explain the mechanics of the alleged payments, including who delivers the money and how much is handed over. The former governor has also hinted at suspicious real estate purchases in Abuja linked to illicit financial flows.