The Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, has dismissed claims by the former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, that the Federal Government facilitates payments and inducements to bandits.
According to ONSA, the allegations are unfounded and contradict available evidence on the ground.
In a statement issued on Monday by Zakari Mijinyawa, the office emphasized that neither it nor any government agency has engaged in ransom payments or offered inducements to criminals. It stressed that the administration has consistently warned citizens against such actions.
El-Rufai, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, had accused the Federal Government of operating what he described as a “kiss-the-bandits” policy. He alleged that instead of confronting armed groups militarily, the government chose to negotiate and compensate them. He argued that such a “non-kinetic” approach only serves to embolden criminals.
Responding, ONSA described the remarks as unfair to the memory of security operatives who lost their lives in the battle against banditry.
The statement read, “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. El-Rufai’s allegations are not only false but also contradict verifiable facts on ground.
From inception, this government adopted a dual strategy: decisive kinetic operations alongside community engagements aimed at addressing local grievances.
The result is evident in areas such as Igabi, Birnin Gwari, Giwa, and other parts of Kaduna that once suffered untold terror in Kaduna state but are now experiencing relative peace.”
The office further honored the sacrifices of fallen security personnel, describing El-Rufai’s claims as “deeply insulting” to their memory.
ONSA urged El-Rufai and other political figures to refrain from dragging security institutions into partisan conflicts, warning that the fight against banditry should not be exploited for political gain.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Is Anthony Odiong still a priest after life in prison sentence over rape?")
