FG refutes El-Rufai’s claims, denies paying ransom to criminals

By Ochiaka Ugwu

The Federal Government has denied engaging in ransom payments or inducements to criminals stating that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has never coordinated a policy of payments or offer incentives to bandits as alleged by the former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
In a press statement released in Abuja Monday tagged “Fight Against Banditry: Facts Disproves El-Rufai’s False Claims” signed by Zakari Mijinyawa for the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), it informed that at no time has the ONSA, or any arm of government under this administration, engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals.
According to the statement, “The attention of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has been drawn to comments made by the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, in a television interview on Sunday. In that interview, he alleged, falsely, that the ONSA coordinates a policy of payments and offers incentives to bandits.
“This claim is baseless. At no time has the ONSA, or any arm of government under this administration, engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals.
“On the contrary, we have consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom. El-Rufai’s allegations are not only false but also contradict verifiable facts on ground” the statement read in part.
“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.
We urge 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” the statement concluded.