A public affairs analyst, Edward Auta, has debunked the claims of former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, that the Governor Uba Sani-led administration engages in negotiations or payments to bandits.
Naijaonpoint reports that Auta, during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, said Governor Sani relies solely on a structured peace model to tackle insecurity, which has improved the state’s security landscape.
Auta emphasised that the model does not include negotiating with bandits or payment, noting that many young boys are exploited by bandit groups and used as foot soldiers.
He said, “The model does not involve negotiating or making any deal with bandits. What the Governor does is provide access to healthcare, access to education, access to infrastructure and inclusion in government.
“Some of these bandits make use of little teenage boys to carry their arms and unleash these terrors, and Governor Uba Sani is dealing with that.”
Auta described a comment credited to El-Rufai about the government paying ransom to bandits as laughable, stressing that the former Governor remains the only public office holder to have ever openly admitted to paying bandits, particularly during the violent episodes in Southern Kaduna.
He noted, “It is laughable for Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai to come here and talk about payment because he is the only one who has come out publicly to admit that he paid bandits to stop killing people in Southern Kaduna.
“Under the past administration, our rivers were pools of blood, and our highways were dangerous. People could not travel from Kaduna to Abuja despite its proximity to the nation’s capital.”
Auta argued that Kaduna State has experienced significant improvements since the adoption of the peace model under Governor Sani, not under El-Rufai.
He added, “Today it is different. Our highways are safer, people have returned to their farms, and we are seeing a relative increase in productivity. We have renovated schools, and yes, we have seen some attacks, but we must give it to Governor Uba Sani for his efforts in maintaining peace in the state.”
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