In a fiery television interview that has set Kaduna State ablaze, former Governor Nasir El-Rufai dropped a stunning allegation on August 31, 2025.
Speaking on Channels Television's Sunday Politics, El-Rufai accused the current Kaduna government under Senator Uba Sani of secretly paying bandits a whopping ₦1 billion naira.
This, he said, happened the first time a school was attacked and students abducted during Uba Sani's tenure – a sharp contrast to his own eight years, where he claims only three schools faced attacks.
"They pay the bandits," El-Rufai declared bluntly. "They paid them a billion naira the first time... If the governor or anyone in government disagrees, let them come out to deny it. We have the evidence and proof."
He went further, slamming a national "non-kinetic" policy driven by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), calling it a "kiss-the-bandits" approach that empowers criminals with cash and supplies.
El-Rufai insisted locals in Kaduna, Katsina, and Zamfara know the truth, despite alleged media suppression.
The backlash was swift and fierce.
Governor Uba Sani fired back on September 8, labeling the claims "political mischief" and insisting: "Not one naira paid to bandits. We have not paid one person a dime."
He touted a community-based model tackling root causes like poverty, not handouts.
ONSA's Nuhu Ribadu called El-Rufai's words "false, baseless, and insulting" to security forces who have eliminated kingpins without payments.
Adding fuel to the fire, aides to Uba Sani accused El-Rufai of hypocrisy – reminding everyone he once paid Fulani herders in 2019 to stop killings in Southern Kaduna.
Even critics like activist Mahdi Shehu called out El-Rufai for past payments during his own term.
As denials fly and old grudges resurface between the once-close allies, one thing is clear: this explosive feud has Kaduna buzzing.
Is it bitter politics, or is there smoke behind El-Rufai's fire? With "evidence" promised but not shown, Nigerians are left wondering who's telling the truth in the fight against banditry.
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