The 2023 Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has called for immediate questioning of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over his recent claim that the Federal Government had been paying allowances to bandits.
His position highlights the seriousness of the allegation and raises fresh concerns about the government’s handling of security policy and accountability in the fight against terrorism.
El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023, alleged that both the Federal Government and Kaduna State Government were funding and supplying food to bandits under what was described as non-kinetic measures. The former governor described the approach as a “kiss-the-bandits” policy.
Baba-Ahmed argued that such weighty allegations should not be dismissed with mere denials, stressing that Nigerians deserve a clear explanation from both the accuser and the authorities.
“If the so-called office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, would take this statement with levity, then Nuhu Ribadu was never a policeman; he is not a qualified lawyer; he should not be in that office,” he said.
The Labour Party chieftain insisted that the claim was too critical to Nigeria’s security to be handled casually, adding that El-Rufai should be invited by the police to write statements and, if necessary, face the courts.