Kaduna Government Denies El-Rufai’s ₦1bn Bandit-Payment Claim, Demands Evidence Within One Week
By Paul Ebi
Kaduna, Nigeria — The Kaduna State Government has issued a strongly worded rebuttal to allegations made by former Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, who claimed during a Channels Television interview that the current administration paid ₦1 billion to bandits.
In a detailed statement signed by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Sule Shu’aibu, the government described El-Rufai’s comments as “fabrication devoid of context, substance, or credibility.” The administration said the former governor’s claims were politically motivated and intended to “inflame passions” and undermine ongoing security reforms in the state.
Government: “Not one naira. Not one kobo.”
The statement emphasized that Governor Uba Sani has never authorised any form of financial engagement with criminal groups. It noted that the governor has repeatedly declared publicly that his administration neither knows nor negotiates with bandits.
The government also cited previous clarifications by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which had earlier dismissed similar claims by El-Rufai as “unfounded, inaccurate, and disconnected from national security realities.”
Communities and ex-officials contradict El-Rufai
According to the statement, grassroots groups including the Birnin-Gwari Vanguard for Security—which witnessed some of the worst insecurity under El-Rufai’s government—have discredited the former governor’s allegations.
It added that several senior figures from El-Rufai’s own administration had, in the past, accused him of using public funds to placate bandits and herders, a revelation the government said undermines his newfound moral outrage.
“If he has evidence, let him publish it”
The government challenged El-Rufai to present concrete proof—bank documents, memos, security briefs, or sworn testimony—to back his claims. It gave him one week to either publish evidence or issue a public apology, failing which the state may initiate legal action.
Public Reactions: Transparency or Politics?
El-Rufai’s supporters insist his remarks are not fabrications but a call for accountability. Critics argue that if the government is confident in its innocence, it should charge him to court rather than issue long press statements.
Some residents questioned the timing of the rebuttal, noting that the interview resurfaced online months after its initial release.
Others expressed concern about what they describe as dwindling public trust in the Uba Sani administration, citing issues around transparency, stalled projects such as the Millennium General Hospital, miscommunication over World Bank loans, and allegations of political propaganda.
Still, supporters of the current administration praised the statement’s firmness, saying Kaduna deserves “facts, not manufactured drama.”
“Show us the evidence” — Calls for openness grow
Several commentators urged both the Kaduna Government and ONSA to sue El-Rufai if the allegations are indeed false. Others insisted that if money was not paid, the public deserves a clear explanation of how bandits agreed to suspend hostilities in certain areas.
A State at a Crossroads
The Kaduna Government maintains that a new era of community-driven peace building is underway—one that rejects ransom payments and focuses on education, healthcare, livelihood support, and enhanced security operations.
But the controversy has reopened questions about transparency, political loyalty, and the lingering shadows of Kaduna’s turbulent past.
As the one-week ultimatum begins ticking, Kaduna waits:Will evidence emerge, or will legal battle lines be drawn?
