Labour Party’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has insisted that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, must be thoroughly questioned following his remarks suggesting that the Federal Government once paid bandits.
Baba-Ahmed, while addressing the issue, stressed that such a weighty revelation cannot be swept under the carpet. According to him, Nigerians deserve clarity and accountability on whether state resources were ever used to negotiate with criminal groups.
“When someone of El-Rufai’s standing, who governed one of the states worst hit by banditry, alleges that the Federal Government paid bandits, it must not be ignored. El-Rufai should be questioned,” he stated.
Moreover, Baba-Ahmed highlighted that insecurity has devastated northern Nigeria, and any claims that government officials might have been involved in financially empowering bandits only deepen public mistrust. He further argued that such actions, if true, could have worsened the security crisis instead of solving it.
In his words, “If indeed the Federal Government paid these criminals, then the questions Nigerians must ask are: who authorized it, under what legal framework, and with whose approval? Citizens deserve to know the truth.”
Speaking on the broader consequences, the Labour Party stalwart stressed that unresolved allegations of this nature weaken confidence in governance. He maintained that banditry and terrorism remain Nigeria’s greatest threats, and therefore, any hint of government complicity should be fully investigated.
Baba-Ahmed called for accountability, saying, “For the sake of justice, for the sake of families who lost loved ones, and for the future of this country, we cannot afford to leave such allegations hanging. El-Rufai’s claims must be properly addressed by the relevant authorities.”
