Kaduna Government Denies Paying Bandits, Rebuts El-Rufai’s Allegations

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has rejected claims that his administration paid money to bandits, describing the allegations as “political mischief.”

The governor made the clarification on TVC’s Politics on Sunday while responding to former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who had accused both the Federal and Kaduna State governments of funding armed groups under a so-called “non-kinetic” security approach.

El-Rufai, in an interview on Channels Television on August 31, alleged that the government was implementing a “kiss-the-bandits policy,” providing monthly allowances and food supplies to criminal gangs.

Governor Sani, however, dismissed the claim, stating, “We have not paid one person a dime, not one naira to anybody. Our Kaduna model is a community-based initiative, driven by religious and traditional leaders. It has nothing to do with paying bandits.”

He explained that insecurity in Kaduna and the wider North-West is largely economically driven, unlike the ideologically motivated insurgency in the North-East.

According to him, the state’s non-kinetic approach complements military operations by reviving rural livelihoods, improving governance, and fostering trust between communities and security agencies.

“When we started this Kaduna model, many thought we would fail. Today, it is a success story. Security chiefs across Nigeria have commended it and recommended its adoption in other states,” Sani said, citing improvements in areas such as Birnin Gwari.

The governor also accused some political actors of exploiting insecurity for partisan gain, emphasizing, “We were elected to solve problems, not to blame others.”

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has also dismissed El-Rufai’s claims, describing them as “false, baseless, and insulting,” and stressed that no government under the current administration has approved ransom payments or incentives for armed groups.

El-Rufai, however, has maintained his stance, accusing both ONSA and the Kaduna government of politicising security to avoid scrutiny.