Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has issued a detailed response to recent statements from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Kaduna State Government, accusing both institutions of politicizing national security and deflecting from core issues raised during his televised interview on Channels Television.
In a three-part statement posted on X late Monday, El-Rufai described the reactions from ONSA and the Kaduna Government as “predictable hot air,” stating that they failed to address the substance of his concerns.
El-Rufai also stressed his longstanding respect for Nigeria’s military and security personnel, citing his family’s service history
“Instead of responding to the core issues I raised, they seek to deflect responsibility by alleging that exposing them amounts to politicizing security,” he wrote. “As a person whose three siblings served in the Nigerian Army and the Airforce, with one of them rising to the rank of general, I have and will continue to appreciate and honor the memory of our citizens in uniform who have made sacrifices for Nigeria. I will also continue to appreciate the immense work that continue to be done by gallant officers of the military and security agencies.”
He accused the current leadership of ONSA of being the “face of the politicization of national security,” alleging that the agency has mismanaged terrorism and banditry in northern Nigeria.
The former governor also alleged that payments to bandits have occurred in several states, including Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger, and Kebbi. He cited public condemnations from traditional rulers and community leaders as evidence.
“The attempt at denial falls flat as many citizens in the affected states have been following the counter-replies by community leaders and clerics,” he said. “We spoke the minds of distressed communities across Nigeria who are victims of banditry and terrorism, and who are watching with pain the way and manner the ONSA, which ought to be discreet and purely carry out intelligence coordination, is now deeply involved in lousy protocol and public relations duties along with politically inclined security management at the expense of the expertise of trained professionals. This charade by ONSA is being done gleefully at a steep cost to the finances of the country and the ethical fabric of our society. The constitutional, legal and patriotic duty the government owes on security is to better support our military and security agencies with more resources like personnel, equipment and technology, rather than further endangering the country by mollycoddling bandits.”
El-Rufai questioned the nature of negotiations with bandits, asking, “Why is non-kinetic approach to addressing banditry and criminality equal to withdrawals of huge amounts of money from state treasuries and handing them over to bandits and terrorists?”
He criticized the Kaduna State Government for its management of security data, saying it hides the truth by presenting a “whitewashed version” of events. He pointed out that his own administration regularly published detailed reports and that the public can easily see the disconnect between the government’s claims and the reality of their security situation.
El-Rufai also condemned the use of security personnel at political gatherings, describing it as a contradiction of ONSA’s stated position against politicization.
“Every attempt to hold him accountable is politicization of security, every perceived enemy of his is a security risk, and every critic… is unpatriotic,” he wrote.
El-Rufai further alleged that a foreign aid initiative aimed at supporting vulnerable citizens was deliberately misrepresented by the Kaduna State Government and the ONSA. He claimed the programme was reframed as a housing donation for victims of banditry, describing the move as a politically motivated media spectacle.
He urged Nigerians to investigate the matter further and verify whether the purported beneficiaries are actually residing in the facilities presented to the public.
Additionally, he called on both ONSA and the Kaduna authorities to disclose the specific locations and operational details of their Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) efforts involving individuals labeled as “repentant bandits,” challenging the transparency and authenticity of the initiative.
Addressing recent political tensions, El-Rufai claimed that efforts were made to disrupt a meeting of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on August 30, accusing the state of enabling violence against opposition figures. “Why is this not attracting the attention of the ONSA as a major security issue?” he asked.
Finally, El-Rufai urged both ONSA and the Kaduna Government to focus on resolving security challenges rather than suppressing dissent. “National security is a very serious matter… It is unpatriotic to disguise incompetence in understanding it, much less managing it, as media stunts,” he said. He ended with a quote: “Tell no lies, claim no easy victories.”
