By Muhammad Mamman
Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the Federal Government of fuelling insecurity by allegedly placing armed bandits on monthly stipends and providing them with food under the guise of “non-kinetic” security measures.
Speaking on Sunday Politics, a Channels Television programme, El-Rufai derided the strategy as a “kiss-the-bandits policy” purportedly driven by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
“What I will never do is pay bandits, give them a monthly allowance, or deliver food to them in the name of non-kinetic engagement. It’s nonsense. We are literally empowering criminals,” he declared.
The former FCT Minister argued that such appeasement only emboldens the gunmen, allowing them to strengthen their networks and procure more sophisticated weapons.
“You do not empower your enemy. You do not hand him cash to buy arms. That is why insecurity persists and will continue for as long as this reckless policy is in place,” he stressed.
El-Rufai, known for his hard-line stance, dismissed negotiations and incentives for bandits as futile.
“My position is simple: the only repentant bandit is a dead one. Let’s bomb them, crush them completely, and then rehabilitate the few survivors who genuinely want change,” he said.
He further alleged that residents across northern states such as Katsina, Zamfara, and Kaduna are fully aware of the government-backed appeasement strategy.
“They can deny, they can run propaganda, but people in Katsina, Zamfara, and Kaduna know the truth. Let any governor or official come forward to refute it. When the time is right, we will reveal everything,” El-Rufai challenged.
