The Kaduna State Government has issued a stern warning to former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of attempting to destabilize the state under the leadership of Governor Uba Sani.
The warning follows comments made by El-Rufai during an interview on Channels Television where he alleged that both the federal and Kaduna State governments had paid billions of naira to bandits as part of non-kinetic measures to address insecurity.
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) swiftly refuted these claims on Monday, stating that no such payments had been made.
In response, the Kaduna State Government released a strongly worded statement on Monday, signed by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Suleiman Shuaibu, urging El-Rufai to desist from making remarks it described as capable of inciting unrest and undermining public trust in ongoing security efforts.
The statement said the government would not tolerate actions by a former leader who it accused of leaving the state “in ruins” and attempting to drag it back into an era of insecurity, ethno-religious tensions, and economic stagnation.
“The Kaduna State Government is compelled to issue this unequivocal and final warning to a former Governor of the State, Nasir El-Rufai, who, through a calculated mix of overt provocation and covert manipulation, is plotting to unleash mayhem across Kaduna State in a desperate bid to destabilize the state and drag it back into its dark and violent past”, the statement read.
The government claimed that El-Rufai was unable to accept the progress being made under Governor Uba Sani’s administration, which it said had moved the state from “the brink of collapse”to becoming a “beacon of hope, unity, and development.”
It also linked El-Rufai’s actions to electoral setbacks suffered by his allies, describing these losses as a public verdict on his legacy of “exclusion, division, and destruction,” and an endorsement of the current administration’s focus on peace, prosperity, and inclusion.
The statement further condemned a political meeting convened by El-Rufai on Saturday, alleging that it descended into violence, including gunfire that endangered innocent citizens.
On his comments about payments to bandits, the government described them as “calculated, malicious lies designed to undermine security efforts, incite public anger, and legitimize criminality.”
It added that the ONSA had rightly debunked these claims, reiterating that both the federal and Kaduna State governments had always urged Nigerians not to pay ransom and remained committed to addressing insecurity through coordinated military and community engagement strategies.
The government also accused El-Rufai of fostering divisions between Southern Kaduna and Northern Kaduna during his tenure, contrasting this with Governor Uba Sani’s approach of “healing, dialogue, inclusion, and sustainable development.”
The statement concluded with a firm warning: “No individual, no matter how highly placed or previously powerful, will be allowed to destabilize the state. The peace of Kaduna State is non-negotiable. Anyone who dares to threaten it, be it Nasir El-Rufai or any of his accomplices, will be held accountable.”