{"id":121799,"date":"2025-09-01T16:54:05","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T15:54:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=121799"},"modified":"2025-09-01T16:54:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T15:54:05","slug":"onsa-chides-el-rufai-over-claims-of-paying-bandits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/onsa-chides-el-rufai-over-claims-of-paying-bandits\/","title":{"rendered":"ONSA Chides El-Rufai Over Claims of Paying Bandits"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"m#msg-f:1842073544945768430\" class=\"mail-message expanded\">\n<div id=\"m#msg-f:1842073544945768430-header\" class=\"mail-message-header spacer\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Lizzy Chirkpi<\/div>\n<div id=\"m#msg-f:1842073544945768430-content\" class=\"mail-message-content collapsible zoom-normal mail-show-images \">\n<div class=\"clear\">\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has dismissed as baseless and deeply insulting claims by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, that the federal government is paying bandits or offering them incentives.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Recall that El-Rufai, in a television interview on Sunday, alleged that the ONSA was coordinating a policy of ransom payments and inducements to criminal gangs terrorizing parts of the country.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reacting in a statement on Monday, ONSA spokesperson, Zakari Mijinyawa said, \u201cAt no time has this administration, through ONSA or any of its agencies, paid ransom or offered inducements to criminals. El-Rufai\u2019s claims are not only false but contradict verifiable facts on the ground.\u201d<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the statement, the current administration has adopted a dual approach to combating banditry: \u201cdecisive kinetic operations alongside community engagement to address local grievances.\u201d It cited improved security in Kaduna communities once under siege, including Igabi, Birnin Gwari and Giwa.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cNotorious bandits and kingpins such as Boderi, Baleri, Sani Yellow Janburos, Buhari and Boka have been eliminated, while leaders of Ansaru who once held sway in Kaduna have been apprehended,\u201d Mijinyawa added.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the gains recorded came at a heavy price, with many security operatives paying the ultimate sacrifice. \u201cFor a former governor to deny these sacrifices on national television is both unfair and a grave insult to the memories of our fallen heroes,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ONSA urged El-Rufai and other political actors to refrain from politicizing national security. \u201cThe fight against banditry is a collective struggle, not a platform for political point-scoring,\u201d it stated.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lizzy Chirkpi The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has dismissed as baseless and deeply insulting claims by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, that the federal government&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":121800,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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