fresh controversy has erupted in Kaduna State after Ben Kure, a former political adviser to ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai, accused his former boss of using public funds to pay off bandits and herders during his administration.
Kure, who now serves as Managing Director of the Kaduna State Media Corporation under Governor Uba Sani, made the claim while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Monday.
He described El-Rufai’s approach to insecurity as not only misguided but also harmful to residents of the state.
“Sometimes in December 2016, Governor Nasir El-Rufai, with an air of arrogance, said to the sitting that he had to pay herdsmen so that they would no longer commit mayhem or kill lives.
What was the result? It aggravated insecurity by more than a hundred per cent,” Kure alleged.
He continued: “Mallam Nasir El-Rufai prided himself on using taxpayers’ money to pay bandits and herdsmen. And what was the result? Untold loss of lives.
People were living in fear, they could not even sleep, go to their farms, or earn legitimate money to care for their families and children.”
Kure contrasted El-Rufai’s approach with the current strategy under Governor Uba Sani and President Bola Tinubu, which he said focuses on dialogue with traditional rulers, religious leaders, and local stakeholders rather than ransom or financial inducements.
According to Kure, the present administration has chosen to appeal to the “emotions and humanity” of those involved in violence, working through community leaders to convince them of the value of peace.
“The government has been talking to them traditional leaders, religious fathers, and also stakeholders because they know some of the people that are participating in this heinous crime.
They brought them and reversed their thinking, so they saw the need to live in peace so there can be progress and development,” he said.
The accusations came barely 24 hours after El-Rufai himself stirred controversy during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
The former governor accused both the federal government and Kaduna State government of “empowering bandits” by providing ransom payments and food supplies, a policy he mocked as “kiss-the-bandits.”
“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,” El-Rufai declared.
He further argued, “The only repentant bandit is a dead one. Let’s kill them all.”
His remarks drew sharp backlash from both Abuja and Kaduna.
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) dismissed El-Rufai’s claims as “baseless,” insisting that no arm of government had ever paid or incentivised criminals.
“At no time has the ONSA, or any arm of government under this administration, engaged in ransom payments or inducements to criminals.
On the contrary, we have consistently warned Nigerians against paying ransom,” a statement signed by ONSA spokesperson Zakari Mijinyawa read.
The Kaduna State Government also condemned El-Rufai, accusing him of spreading “calculated, malicious lies” aimed at undermining security efforts and destabilising the state following his allies’ defeat in the August 16 by-elections.
Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Suleiman Shuaibu, said El-Rufai’s comments threatened peace in the state.
He added that security operations under Governor Uba Sani had recorded significant gains in areas such as Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Kajuru, and Kauru, where notorious bandit leaders had been eliminated and members of Ansaru arrested.
The fierce exchanges underscore the widening rift between El-Rufai and his successors.
Analysts suggest the clash is not only about security strategy but also about political dominance in Kaduna, where the former governor still commands influence despite his declining ties with the ruling administration.
As accusations and counter-accusations fly, many Kaduna residents remain caught in the middle of the ongoing struggle against banditry a crisis that has claimed lives, displaced communities, and crippled livelihoods across the state.