After accusing Tinubu’s govt of paying bandits in billions, police invite El-Rufai, other ADC members for criminal investigation

A few days after former Kaduna Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, alleged that President Bola Tinubu’s government is paying bandits in billions, the police have invited the former governor and six African Democratic Congress politicians for criminal investigations.

A letter dated September 4, addressed to the ADC, Kaduna chapter, invited Mr El-Rufai, Bashir Sa’idu, Jafaru Sani, Ubaidullah Mohammed a.k.a Nasiru Maikano, Aminu Abita, and Ahmed Rufa’i Hussaini a.k.a Mikiya to the Kaduna police command’s criminal investigation department.

“This Department is currently investigating the above-mentioned case involving the following members of your party. You are requested to come along with them to SCID to clarify allegations reported against them by the complainants on 8th September, 2025,” the letter reads.

The police said Mr El-Rufai and the others mentioned are under investigation for “criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance of public peace, mischief and causing grievous hurt.”

Posting the police letter inviting Mr El-Rufai and others for criminal investigation on X, Deji Adeyanju, a lawyer and activist, said: “This is madness. Trying to intimidate the opposition in Kaduna with the police is a new low by the APC.”

This comes a few days after Mr El-Rufai, in an interview with Channels TV, berated both the Kaduna government and the Tinubu-led government, accusing them of paying bandits.

Mr El-Rufai described the Tinubu-led government’s “non-kinetic” move against insecurity as a “Kiss the Bandits” policy.

“What I will not do is to pay bandits, give them a monthly allowance, or send food to them in the name of non-kinetic. It’s nonsense; we’re empowering bandits,” Mr El-Rufai said.

He added, “It’s not the government of Kaduna State; it’s a national policy driven by the Office of the National Security Adviser, and Kaduna is part of it. Kiss the bandits; that’s the new policy.”

Arguing that insecurity has not reduced in the country, especially in Kaduna State, Mr El-Rufai said three schools have been attacked under his successor, Uba Sani’s watch in two years, as against three school attacks recorded in his entire eight years as governor.

”This government has been around for 2 years, three schools have been attacked, and they paid the bandits N1 billion the first time a school was attacked. They are paying bandits, and they are apologising,” Mr El-Rufai said.