We won’t tolerate El-Rufai’s actions any longer – Kaduna govt

The Kaduna State Government has issued what it calls a final warning to former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of attempts to destabilise the state under the leadership of Governor Uba Sani.

The development follows remarks made by El-Rufai during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics. In the interview, the former governor alleged that both the federal and Kaduna State governments had paid billions of naira to bandits as part of non-kinetic measures to curb insecurity.

However, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) swiftly debunked his claims on Monday, stressing that no such payments were made. The Kaduna State Government has now urged El-Rufai to desist from making statements it considers capable of inciting unrest or undermining public confidence in ongoing security efforts.

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On Monday, in a strongly worded statement signed by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Suleiman Shuaibu, the state government said it would not “fold its arms and allow a discredited former leader, who left the state in ruins, to ignite chaos and plunge the state into another era of ethno-religious tension, insecurity, 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 said.

According to the government, Mr El-Rufai “cannot stomach the progress Kaduna is making under the administration of Governor Uba Sani,” which it said had moved the state from “the brink of collapse” to a “beacon of hope, unity, and development.”

It linked Mr El-Rufai’s actions to electoral setbacks suffered by his allies, saying: “These victories… were a verdict on El-Rufai’s legacy: one of exclusion, division, and destruction, and an endorsement of the current administration’s focus on peace, prosperity, and inclusion.”

The government also condemned a political meeting convened by the former governor on Saturday, which it claimed “descended into violence, including gunshots that endangered innocent citizens.”

On Mr El-Rufai’s banditry comments, the statement said: “These are not mere words: they are calculated, malicious lies designed to undermine security efforts, incite public anger, and legitimise criminality.”

It added: “The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has rightly debunked these malicious claims. On the contrary, both the federal and Kaduna state governments have repeatedly urged Nigerians never to pay ransom and have committed to pursuing justice through coordinated military and community engagement strategies.”

The statement further accused Mr El-Rufai of “pitting the people of Southern Kaduna against their brothers and sisters in the North” during his eight years in office, contrasting that with Governor Sani’s “healing, dialogue, inclusion, and sustainable development.”

The government also warned that “No individual, no matter how highly placed or previously powerful, will be allowed to destabilise 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.”