El-Rufai’s Man Turns on Him, Accuses Ex-Gov of Funding Bandits

Ben Kure, former political adviser to ex-Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused him of using taxpayers’ money to pay bandits during his administration.

Kure, who now heads the Kaduna State Media Corporation under Governor Uba Sani, made the claim on Channels Television’s Politics Today, faulting El-Rufai’s approach to insecurity.

He recalled El-Rufai’s 2016 admission of paying herders to stop violence, arguing that the decision worsened killings and kidnappings across the state.

“Mallam Nasir El-Rufai prided himself on paying bandits with taxpayers’ money. The result was untold loss of lives, fear, and people unable to farm or earn a living,” Kure said.

Contrasting the current administration’s policy, Kure said President Bola Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani had rejected ransom payments, opting instead for dialogue with traditional rulers, religious leaders, and local stakeholders to de-escalate violence.

His comments came after El-Rufai, in a separate TV interview, accused the Federal and Kaduna State governments of “empowering bandits” with food supplies and incentives under what he mocked as a “kiss-the-bandits” policy. El-Rufai insisted he would never negotiate with criminals, declaring: “The only repentant bandit is a dead one.”

But the Federal Government, through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), dismissed his claim as “baseless,” insisting no arm of government had ever paid or incentivised bandits.

The Kaduna State Government also rebuked the former governor, describing his remarks as “malicious lies” aimed at undermining security efforts and inciting public anger.

Commissioner for Internal Security, Suleiman Shuaibu, stressed that security gains under Governor Uba Sani were evident in flashpoints like Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Kajuru and Kauru, where notorious bandit leaders had been eliminated and several Ansaru members arrested.