Ben Kure, a former political adviser to the ex-governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has claimed that the former governor diverted taxpayers’ money to pay bandits during his time in office.
According to him, El-Rufai paid bandits so they would no longer commit mayhem in the state, but his decision aggravated insecurity by more than 100 per cent.
Kure, now Managing Director of the Kaduna State Media Corporation under Governor Uba Sani, made the allegation during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
He said, “Sometimes in December 2016, Governor Nasir El-Rufai, with an air of arrogance, said to the sitting that he had to pay herdsmen so that they would no longer commit mayhem or kill lives. What was the result? It aggravated insecurity by more than a hundred per cent.
“Mallam Nasir El-Rufai prided himself on using taxpayers’ money to pay bandits and herdsmen. And what was the result? Untold loss of lives. People were living in fear, they could not even sleep, go to their farms, or earn legitimate money to care for their families and children.”
The former aide contrasted the current approach of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and Governor Uba Sani’s government, which he said had refused to give money to bandits.
According to him, the present strategy focuses on dialogue with traditional rulers, religious leaders and local stakeholders to de-escalate violence.
He said the current government started “appealing to the emotions and making them [Bandits] understand the reality and the value of life. It’s about dialogue.
“The government has been talking to them, traditional leaders, religious fathers and also stakeholders, because they know some of the people that are participating in this heinous crime, so they brought them and reversed their thinking so they saw the need to live in peace so there can be progress and development.”
His comments came 24 hours after El-Rufai accused both the federal and Kaduna State governments of “empowering bandits” through ransom payments and food supplies under what he mocked as a “kiss-the-bandits” policy.
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