ONSA Hits Back: El-Rufai Accused of Undermining Military Sacrifice with “False” Ransom Claims

  In a fiery rebuttal, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has slammed former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over exp...

 

In a fiery rebuttal, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has slammed former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over explosive claims that the federal government is secretly paying off bandits.

El-Rufai, never shy of controversy, alleged during a televised interview on Sunday that the current administration—through the NSA’s office—is bankrolling criminal groups under the guise of security strategy.

But the NSA's office wasted no time firing back. In a sharply worded statement released Monday by spokesperson Zakari Mijinyawa, the office described El-Rufai’s allegations as “baseless, misleading, and completely detached from reality.”

“At no point has ONSA, or any arm of this administration, engaged in ransom payments or inducements to bandits,” Mijinyawa declared, adding that such accusations not only mislead the public but also dishonour the memory of security operatives killed in action.

The NSA’s office touted recent military gains in Kaduna State—including the killing of notorious kingpins like Boderi, Baleri, and Buhari Yellow Janburos—as proof of the administration’s commitment to a hardline stance against criminality.

El-Rufai’s critics say his comments are part of a calculated effort to undermine the Tinubu administration and revive his relevance ahead of 2027. Security insiders, meanwhile, see the former governor’s remarks as reckless, potentially damaging troop morale, and encouraging conspiracy theories.

“This is not the time for political actors to play to the gallery while others make real sacrifices,” the NSA’s office added, warning that national security should not be reduced to “a tool for political point-scoring.”

As tensions rise between the federal government and outspoken northern elites, El-Rufai’s latest broadside could deepen existing rifts within the APC and spark more public scrutiny of the country’s opaque security policies.