Kaduna Gives El-Rufai One-Week Ultimatum to Prove ₦1bn Bandits Claim

The Kaduna State Government has dismissed as false and politically motivated the allegation by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai that the Uba Sani administration paid ₦1 billion to bandits as part of security engagements.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Sule Shu’aibu (SAN), said the former governor must provide proof within one week or retract the allegation, warning that failure to do so would result in legal action.

El-Rufai had, during a recent Televised interview, alleged that the current administration authorised payments to criminal groups, a claim the state government described as irresponsible and deeply misleading.

The statement condemned the former governor for what it called “recklessly weaponising a sensitive security matter for political grandstanding,” adding that such conduct was unbecoming of a former leader who once held the state’s highest office.

The state government emphasised that Governor Sani has never approved, negotiated, or paid any money to criminal elements, noting that similar claims had previously been dismissed by the Office of the National Security Adviser as unfounded and inconsistent with national security protocols.

“Not one naira. Not one kobo,” Shu’aibu said, insisting that the Kaduna State Government engages only legitimate community leaders and institutions, not bandits or criminal groups.

“We demand that Mallam Nasir El-Rufai retract his statement and issue an unreserved apology within one week, failing which the state will be compelled to initiate legal proceedings to safeguard public order and institutional integrity,” the statement added.

The government reiterated its commitment to a community-focused security strategy supported by strengthened military operations and improved access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. It noted that grassroots groups such as the Birnin-Gwari Vanguard for Security and Good Governance have publicly refuted El-Rufai’s claims, while urging former officials to support ongoing peace-building efforts rather than promote “bitterness, fear-mongering, or orchestrated falsehoods.”