Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has accused the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, of spending billions of naira through his office to feed and pay salaries to armed terrorists and bandits under the guise of coordinating a non-kinetic security strategy under the supervision of his office.
In a video interview that has been circulating on social media platforms since Monday, El-Rufai sharply criticised Ribadu of deceiving Nigerians by coordinating the payment of huge sums of money to the terrorists with the non-kinetic ruse.
The former Kaduna governor claimed that the NSA authorised a N1 billion payment to terrorists to secure the release of abducted students, alongside provisions of food supplies and even salaries as incentives while telling Nigerians that no compensation was paid for the release of the students.
“They are empowering terrorists; it’s a national policy driven by the Office of the National Security Adviser,” El-Rufai stated.
“What I will not do is pay terrorists, give them a monthly allowance, or send food to them in the name of non-kinetic.
“It’s nonsense; we’re empowering terrorists… Kiss the terrorists; that’s the new policy.”
The former governor stated that during his administration, his stance was that he refused similar inducements despite facing severe terrorism challenges in Kaduna.
El-Rufai’s allegations first surfaced in late August 2025 during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme but Ribadu had swiftly dismissed the claims as “false, baseless, and deeply insulting” to Nigeria’s security forces.
In a statement signed by Zakari Mijinyawa, Head of Strategic Communication at ONSA, Ribadu’s office emphasised that no ransom payments or inducements have ever been made under the current administration.
“On the contrary, we have consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom,” the statement read.
The NSA had highlighted military successes, including the elimination of notorious terrorists leaders in Kaduna and the rescue of hostages, noting that these operations came “at a cost” with brave officers paying the ultimate price.
But El-Rufai fired back, accusing the ONSA of politicising national security and failing to address verifiable evidence.
