“El-Rufai Should Be Questioned Over FG Paying Bandits Claim” — Datti Baba-Ahmed

Datti Baba-Ahmed has called for the questioning of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai over his claims that the Federal Government is paying allowances to bandits. The Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 elections said the matter is too serious to be dismissed, urging security authorities to act.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Baba-Ahmed criticised the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for brushing aside El-Rufai’s comments. “If the so-called office of the NSA would take this statement with levity, then Nuhu Ribadu was never a policeman; he is not a qualified lawyer; he should not be in that office,” he said. He argued that El-Rufai should be compelled to make formal statements to the police and courts.

The controversy began on Sunday when El-Rufai accused the Federal Government and Kaduna State of paying a “monthly allowance” to bandits and providing them food “in the name of non-kinetic” measures. He described the policy as “kiss-the-bandits” and insisted it was part of a national strategy coordinated by the NSA. “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. It’s nonsense; we’re empowering bandits,” he said.

The NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Kaduna State Government have since denied the allegations, calling them baseless. But Baba-Ahmed rejected the rebuttal, questioning why such a serious claim would be dismissed without thorough investigation. “Are people understanding the gravity of this statement?” he asked.

He further stressed that a national policy must be openly declared and subjected to public scrutiny. “A national policy is the official position of a government; an official declaration that this is what we shall be constitutionally doing; what we shall be legally pursuing. Was such a thing held? Why did Nasir say it?” Baba-Ahmed added.