WorldStage– Former Senator Shehu Sani has dismissed the claim by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai that the current Kaduna State Government, led by Governor Uba Sani, paid N1 billion to bandits as “false and ridiculous.”
In a strongly-worded statement, Senator Sani called the allegation a “politically motivated falsehood” and challenged El-Rufai to provide evidence.
Sani accused El-Rufai of establishing a “culture of appeasement to terrorists” during his own administration, referencing past admissions by El-Rufai of engaging in “conditional cash transfers” to bandits.
He argued that Kaduna State experienced some of its worst security crises under El-Rufai’s watch, including the Abuja-Kaduna train attack and various student abductions, with bandits operating freely.
Sani suggested El-Rufai’s claims are driven by “envy” over Governor Uba Sani’s perceived success in fostering unity across religious and ethnic lines and dismantling inherited banditry structures.
Governor Uba Sani’s administration has also vehemently denied the allegations, describing El-Rufai’s remarks as “calculated, malicious lies designed to undermine security efforts.”
The current government insists it has never paid a naira to bandits, instead focusing on a “Kaduna model” that combines military operations with non-kinetic approaches like community engagement, empowerment, and addressing root causes.
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) also dismissed El-Rufai’s national-level claims as “baseless” and false, reiterating a national policy against paying ransoms or incentives to criminals.
El-Rufai, however, has stood by his position despite the pushback from both the state and federal authorities.
