Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has dismissed allegations that his administration is paying money to bandits, describing the claims as “political mischief.”
Sani, who spoke on TVC’s Politics on Sunday, was responding to remarks by his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai, who alleged that both the Federal Government and Kaduna State government were funding armed groups under the guise of a non-kinetic security approach.
El-Rufai, in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics on August 31, accused the government of adopting what he called a “kiss-the-bandits policy,” claiming criminal gangs were receiving monthly stipends and food supplies.
“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,” the former governor said. “It’s a national policy driven by the Office of the National Security Adviser, and Kaduna is part of it. The only repentant bandit is a dead one. Let’s kill them all.”
Governor Sani, however, faulted the allegation, insisting that his administration has never offered financial inducements to criminals. He said the “Kaduna model” is rooted in community engagement, empowerment, and addressing the root causes of insecurity.
“We have not paid one person a dime, not one naira to anybody. Our Kaduna model is a community-based initiative, driven by religious and traditional leaders. It has nothing to do with paying bandits,” Sani said.
The governor explained that while insurgency in the North-East is largely ideological, insecurity in Kaduna and the wider North-West is economically driven. According to him, his government’s non-kinetic strategy complements military operations by reviving rural livelihoods, strengthening local governance, and building trust with communities.
“When we started this Kaduna model, many thought we would not succeed. But today, it is a success story. Security chiefs across Nigeria have openly commended it and called for its adoption in other states,” he added.
Sani further accused some politicians of exploiting insecurity for partisan purposes. “Some politicians are only trying to misguide and misinform the public for political points. But in Kaduna, nobody has paid a naira. We were elected to solve problems, not to blame others,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) also rejected El-Rufai’s claim, describing it as “false, baseless, and insulting.” ONSA stressed that no government under the current administration has approved ransom payments or incentives for bandits, noting that the national security framework combines military action with community engagement.
El-Rufai, however, has stood by his position, accusing both ONSA and the Kaduna government of politicising security issues to evade accountability.
