Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the federal government of fueling insecurity in Nigeria by paying and empowering bandits instead of eliminating them.

Speaking on Channels Television, El-Rufai claimed that the government’s policy of negotiating and compensating armed groups was being driven by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). He warned that such a strategy only emboldens criminals.

“What I will not do is pay bandits. They are paying bandits. They are empowering bandits. This is what this government has done. We have the evidence,” he said.

According to the former governor, dialogue with terrorists is not a solution. He insisted that the only effective way to deal with banditry is through decisive military action.

“My position has always been that the only repentant bandit is a dead one. Let’s kill them all. Let’s bomb them until they are reduced to nothing. And then the 5% that still want to be rehabilitated can be rehabilitated,” he declared.

El-Rufai criticized the non-kinetic strategy—which emphasizes negotiation over force—arguing that it strengthens criminal groups instead of weakening them.

“You do not negotiate from a position of weakness. You don’t empower your enemy. You don’t give him money to go on and buy more sophisticated weapons. That’s why the security problem has not gone away. It will not go away as long as this policy continues,” he warned.

Citing recent reports from SBM Intelligence and Sahara Reporters, El-Rufai said insecurity has worsened in Kaduna and Zamfara States under the current government, accusing officials of trying to suppress media coverage of the crisis.

His remarks have sparked renewed debate on how best to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges, with many questioning whether negotiation truly brings peace—or only deepens the cycle of violence.