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- Sani tackles ex-gov over payment
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Kaduna State Government has dismissed allegations by former Governor Nasir el-Rufai that the administration of Governor Uba Sani paid ₦1 billion to bandits.
The government described the comments as false, politically motivated and lacking in evidence.
In a statement by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Sule Shu’aibu, the government said el-Rufai’s allegations were a fabrication devoid of context, substance or credibility, accusing him of attempting to mislead the public and undermine the progress made in restoring peace and stability across the state.
The statement criticised the former governor for “recklessly weaponizing a sensitive security issue for political grandstanding,” noting that such conduct falls below the standard expected of a former leader who once held the highest office in the state.
The government reiterated that Sani has never authorised, negotiated or paid any money to criminal groups. According to the Commissioner, the Governor had repeatedly made this position clear in interviews, press briefings and stakeholder engagements, stressing, “Not one Naira, not one kobo.”
The statement further noted that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) previously dismissed similar claims by El-Rufai as unfounded and inconsistent with Nigeria’s national security practices. The ONSA had affirmed that neither the Federal Government nor state governments engage in ransom payments to criminal elements.
Highlighting its security strategy, the Kaduna State Government stated that the administration was implementing a community-focused approach anchored on strengthened military operations, deeper engagement with legitimate community leaders and improved access to education, healthcare and economic opportunities. “The state engages communities, not bandits,” it said.
Grassroots groups, including the Birnin-Gwari Vanguard for Security and Good Governance, which experienced some of the most severe security challenges during el-Rufai’s tenure, had publicly refuted his claims, describing them as misleading and untrue.
The statement also referenced past accusations made by senior members of el-Rufai’s own administration alleging that he used public funds to appease certain groups. This, the government said, makes his current allegations “deeply paradoxical.”
Since taking office, Governor Sani has prioritised stabilising vulnerable communities, reopening schools, markets and farmlands, and rebuilding trust among previously fractured groups. The government urged former officials to show restraint and support the ongoing efforts to consolidate peace.
The statement challenged el-Rufai to present any credible evidence, such as bank records, internal memos or security documents, if he possesses any. It noted that similar allegations he made in September 2025 were never supported by proof.
The government demanded that el-Rufai retract his statement and issue an unreserved apology within one week, warning that failure to do so would compel the state to initiate legal action to safeguard public order and institutional integrity.
Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and responsible security governance, the Kaduna State Government said it would not be distracted by the politics of bitterness, fear-mongering or orchestrated falsehoods.
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Meanwhile, former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, has dismissed the claim by El-Rufai that Governor Sani paid N1 billion to bandits as false and ridiculous.
In a statement, yesterday, Sani said the allegation lacked credibility and amounted to politically motivated falsehood.
In the statement, he accused the former governor of establishing what he described as a “culture of appeasement to terrorists” during his administration.
According to him, el-Rufai had previously admitted to engaging in conditional cash transfers to bandits, a claim which he noted, led to the arrest of journalist Luka Biniyat at the time.
The former lawmaker argued that Kaduna State witnessed some of its worst security incidents under el-Rufai’s leadership, citing several high-profile attacks, including the Kaduna–Abuja train attack, the Greenfield University abductions and the kidnapping and killing of students from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Bethel Baptist High School and other institutions.
“Under his watch, bandits and terrorists operated freely like lords and kings,” Sani said, adding that large portions of Southern and Central Kaduna became slaughterhouses where criminals operated unchallenged.
He noted that even the Kaduna Airport was shut down at some points due to escalating insecurity.
Sani also recalled el-Rufai’s withdrawal of his son from a public school over safety concerns, arguing that such actions contradict the former governor’s present claims on security.
Challenging el-Rufai to present evidence of any alleged payment by the current administration, Sani said: “If he has images or videos showing cash being handed to bandits, he should make them public.”
The former senator further alleged that el-Rufai was driven by envy over what he described as Gov Sani’s success in fostering unity between the predominantly Christian Southern Kaduna and the Muslim-majority Northern Kaduna.
He accused the former governor of presiding over an era marked by “religious and ethnic discrimination, division, persecution, torment and terror.”
While acknowledging that Kaduna, like other northern states, continues to grapple with security challenges, Senator Sani argued that Governor Sani had made notable progress in “building bridges across religious divides and dismantling the structures of banditry allegedly inherited from his predecessor.
“No sensible or responsible person conscious of history will give credence to the stream of lies that have become habitual in the life of a man in his mid-60s.”
