Key Points

• El-Rufai accuses FG of paying bandits monthly allowances.

• He says payments fund weapons and fuel insecurity.

• Residents in northern states know the policy exists.

Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai has accused the Federal Government of making insecurity worse by paying allowances to armed bandits.

El-Rufai, who spoke on Sunday during a Channels Television program, claimed that the government provides monthly stipends and food supplies to criminal groups under what it calls non-kinetic security strategies.

“What I will not do is to pay bandits, give them a monthly allowance, or send food to them in the name of non-kinetic,” El-Rufai said. “It’s nonsense; we’re empowering bandits.”

Policy ‘strengthens criminals,’ says ex-governor

The former governor argued that such measures embolden criminals rather than reduce violence.

He warned that giving money to groups that terrorize communities only helps them buy more weapons.

“You don’t empower your enemy. You don’t give him money to go and buy sophisticated weapons.

That is why insecurity has not gone away, and it will not go away as long as this policy continues,” he said.

El-Rufai, a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, said negotiations and appeasement strategies are counterproductive. Instead, he called for a tougher military response.

“My position has always been that the only repentant bandit is a dead one. Let’s kill them all. Let’s bomb them until they are reduced to nothing. The few that still want rehabilitation can be rehabilitated,” he said.

Northern residents ‘already know the truth’

El-Rufai claimed that residents of northern states such as Katsina, Zamfara, and Kaduna are already aware of the government-backed appeasement.

“They can deceive, they can cover up, they can do propaganda, but those that live in Katsina, those that live in Zamfara, those that live in Kaduna… they know what is happening,” he added.

Challenging the authorities, he said: “Let the governor or anyone come and deny. When the time comes, we will reveal everything.”