Abuja: A security analyst, Dr. Bulama Bukarti, has dismissed the recent claims by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, that the Federal Government pays ransom and provides supplies to armed groups terrorising the country.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, El-Rufai had alleged during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, that government’s complicity was worsening insecurity in the country. But reacting during his weekly live programme, Bukarti described the claims as ‘politics without any element of truth.’
Bukarti emphasized that there is no law or policy that permits the government to fund or support bandits. He noted that ransom payments making headlines are usually raised by victims’ families or communities. He further explained that Nigeria’s security challenges transcend battlefield strategy and are instead linked to systemic corruption, which he described as the ‘biggest enabler of terrorist activities.’
The security analyst also cautioned against making unsubstantiated allegations against sitting presidents, recalling that similar claims had been levelled against past heads of state. Clarifying how the military operates, Bukarti stressed that only the president can issue directives for military action, and governors, ministers, and even the National Security Adviser lack such powers. The chain of command, he explained, runs from the president to the Chief of Army Staff and down to field commanders.
Bukarti concluded by stating that addressing Nigeria’s insecurity would require sustained collaboration between citizens, government, and security agencies, anchored on a determined effort to curb corruption.
