Labour Party vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, has called for a thorough investigation into allegations made by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, that the Federal Government has been paying allowances and providing supplies to armed bandits.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Baba-Ahmed said the matter was too grave to be dismissed with a simple rebuttal by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
“If the so-called office of the National Security Adviser 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,” Baba-Ahmed declared, referring to the current NSA.
He insisted that El-Rufai should be compelled to formally account for his claims, saying, “Nasir should be writing statements to the police, to the courts.”
El-Rufai had stirred controversy during a television appearance on Sunday, where he alleged that both the Federal Government and Kaduna State were involved in paying “monthly allowances” to bandits as part of a so-called “non-kinetic” strategy to curb violence.
“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,” El-Rufai said. He further claimed that the initiative was a “national policy driven by the Office of the National Security Adviser,” adding that Kaduna was merely following directives.
ONSA has since dismissed the allegations as “false and baseless,” stressing that the government does not negotiate with or fund criminal groups. The Kaduna State Government also issued a denial.
But Baba-Ahmed argued that mere denials were insufficient given the gravity of the allegations. “That is not a reaction. Are people understanding the gravity of this statement? A national policy is the official position of government. Was such a thing ever held? Why did Nasir say it?” he asked.
The LP chieftain maintained that the claims touch on national security, legitimacy of government policy, and the sacrifices of security forces, stressing that they must not be swept aside.
“The seriousness of El-Rufai’s claims demands accountability and a formal investigation,” Baba-Ahmed concluded.
