MAHDI SHEHU accuses EL-RUFAI of paying bandits during his tenure as Kaduna governor

Wednesday, September 3, 2025 - Human rights activist Mahdi Shehu has accused former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai of hypocrisy over his recent comments on the country’s security strategies.

Reacting to El-Rufai’s interview, Shehu described it as ironic for the ex-governor to criticise Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu for allegedly making payments to bandits, when El-Rufai himself once admitted to taking similar steps.

Shehu cited a report, which noted that El-Rufai’s administration had tracked armed herders in neighbouring countries and provided compensation to halt attacks in Kaduna.

“We took specific measures by sending teams to trace these individuals in countries like Cameroon and Niger, informing them that there is a new governor who is Fulani, willing to pay compensation for lives lost, and urging them to stop the killings,” Mahdi quoted El-Rufai.

According to Shehu, El-Rufai cannot now pretend to oppose a practice he once justified and implemented.

“Is this not the same El-Rufai who admitted to paying compensation and gifts to armed groups, yet now condemns others for using material inducements in security management simply because he is no longer in office?” Shehu asked.

He added: “Between 2015 and 2023, under Buhari’s government where El-Rufai was a key figure, insecurity and reckless security spending became the order of the day.

Has he forgotten that insecurity peaked despite trillions spent in the name of fighting insurgency?”

Shehu also described El-Rufai’s recent interview as an example of how former officials often develop new attitudes once out of power, noting the session was marked by “anger, bitterness, and vindictiveness,” reflecting poor judgment.

“If Nuhu Ribadu and Governor Uba Sani are guilty of what El-Rufai accuses them of, then he is far guiltier, given his more than 20 years in government.

We should wait until Uba Sani completes his tenure and then compare his record with El-Rufai’s to know who the real villain is,” Shehu said.

He concluded by reminding the ex-governor of a timeless biblical lesson: “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”