The National Security Adviser (NSA) has urged ex- governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai and all political actors to desist from dragging national security institutions into partisan battles.
In a statement on Monday in Abuja, Zakari Mijinyawa spokesperson to the NSA, said the attention of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has been drawn to comments made by the former governor in a television interview on Sunday.
The statement noted that in the interview, El-Rufai 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.
Mijinyawa maintained that, from inception, the present administration 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.”
The statement added that, “In Kaduna alone, known kingpins who once terrorised residents such as Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari and Boka, among others, were eliminated.”
It noted that only recently, leaders of Ansaru who previously established bases in Kaduna were apprehended.
Mijinyawa said, “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.”
Ribadu to El-Rufai: Stop dragging national security institutions into partisan battle
