Alleged Payment of Bandits: Uba Sani Replies El-Rufai, “Stop Deceiving the People”

Alleged Payment of Bandits: Uba Sani Replies El-Rufai, “Stop Deceiving the People”

  • Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state has addressed the allegation that government is paying and feeding bandits in the north
  • Former governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, alleged that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) coordinates ransom payments and incentives to bandits.
  • The All Progressives Congress (APC) governor said only firearms cannot resolve insecurity in the country

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

Kaduna state - Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state has accused of former governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai of politicising insecurity in the state.

Governor Sani said firearms alone cannot end banditry in the northern part of the country.

Uba Sani says firearms alone won’t end banditry
Uba Sani tells El-Rufai not to politicise insecurity in Kaduna state. Photo credit:@ubasanius
Source: Twitter

Sani stated this while reacting to El-Rufai’s claim that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) coordinates ransom payments and incentives to bandits.

The governor said “poverty, unemployment, and neglect of rural communities are at the heart of banditry”.

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Speaking on TVC’s Politics on Sunday, Sani stated said:

“Insecurity can’t be resolved solely through the use of firearms. Whoever makes such a claim is only playing politics. We must fear God and stop deceiving the people because that approach will not work.”

Governor Sani disagreed with El-Rufai’s “misguided non-kinetic” approach to insecurity” claim.

The governor said the Kaduna peace model is a community-driven, non-kinetic strategy involving traditional and religious leaders.

He said the model has been effective in areas like Birnin Gwari.

The governor disclosed that after months of consultations, the government discovered that crime triggered by poverty, lack of schools, hospitals, and commerce in rural areas.

The APC governor argued that insecurity in the north-west is different from the Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east, which is ideologically driven.

Governor Uba Sani says firearms alone won’t end banditry
Governor Uba Sani urges El-Rufai to stop deceiving the people Photo credit: Uba Sani
Source: Facebook

Tinubu's govt reacts to El-Rufai's allegations of paying bandits

Recall that El-Rufai, had, in a trending interview, alleged that Tinubu's government is empowering terrorists

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The former Kaduna governor noted that the federal government adopted a “kiss-the-bandits” approach, alleging a national policy of negotiating with and compensating armed groups rather than confronting them militarily.

In a swift response, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), led by Nuhu Ribadu, in a statement, set the record straight.

Read more stories on El-Rufai:

“Why El-Rufai Cannot Absolve Himself of Blame”

In a previous story, Legit.ng reported that the 2023 Labour Party (LP) vice presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, reacted to El-Rufai's allegation that the government is paying bandits.

Baba-Ahmed said the former Kaduna state governor cannot run away or absolve himself from the allegation.

The former senator explained why El-Rufai is part and parcel of the insecurity rocking the country.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Adekunle Dada avatar

Adekunle Dada (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Adekunle Dada is a trained journalist with over 8 years of working experience. He is also a Politics/Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a B.Sc. in Mass Communication from Lagos State University, Ojo. Adekunle previously worked at PM News, The Sun, and Within Nigeria, where he expressed his journalistic skills with well-researched articles and features. In 2024, Adekunle obtained a certificate in advanced digital reporting from the Google News Initiative. He can be reached via adekunle.dada@corp.legit.ng.