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Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has hit back at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Kaduna State Government, accusing both of misleading the public and politicising national security.
In a statement released on Monday, El-Rufai dismissed their responses to his recent television interview as “fake, predictable hot air,” insisting that neither addressed his core allegations about payments to bandits and mismanagement of security.
“They seek to deflect responsibility by alleging that exposing them amounts to politicising security,” he said. “Government lies cannot hide bandit payments.”
El-Rufai alleged that under the current leadership, ONSA had turned national security into a political tool, pointing to widely circulated videos and audios of community and religious leaders condemning payments to armed groups in Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger, and Kebbi states.
“No matter how incompetent in security matters he may be, the National Security Adviser cannot be oblivious of videos and audios of traditional rulers, community leaders and religious leaders condemning the payments made by the state to bandits,” he said.
He also challenged the state and federal authorities to explain why kidnappings and killings continue despite “negotiations” with bandits, and why large sums of state funds are allegedly handed to criminal groups under the guise of non-kinetic approaches.
“Insecurity is the menace they ought to eliminate, not opposition voices and platforms,” he added, accusing Kaduna authorities of sponsoring violence against lawful political gatherings while presenting a false picture of peace.
El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna for eight years, contrasted his administration’s transparent publication of security reports with what he described as today’s “whitewashed narrative,” urging current leaders to prioritise results over media stunts.
The exchanges follow El-Rufai’s high-profile appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he alleged government payments to bandits and politicisation of security operations, claims both ONSA and Kaduna State Government have denied.