Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has publicly commended the Federal Government’s stance against paying ransom to kidnappers, describing the position as reassuring at a time of heightened public anxiety over abductions.
El-Rufai’s remarks followed comments by the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), who said the Federal Government does not pay ransom and urged states and communities to stop negotiating with bandits, warning that such deals undermine security operations.
Reacting on social media, El-Rufai praised the Defence Minister’s message in unusually warm terms, framing it as a needed signal of firmness and clarity in counter-kidnapping policy.
Why El-Rufai’s Comment Is Notable.
El-Rufai has, in the past, been a sharp critic of ransom payments and “peace deals” with armed groups, arguing they incentivise kidnapping and expand the bandit economy.
His latest endorsement effectively places him on the same side as the Tinubu administration’s stated policy: military pressure, intelligence-led rescues, and zero official ransom.
Politically, the moment stands out because El-Rufai has also been publicly critical of aspects of the Tinubu government and its inner power structure in recent years, making any explicit commendation draw attention.
The Advice: Stop Funding the Kidnap Economy.
Beyond praise, the underlying advisory message is straightforward: do not feed the insurgency/bandit pipeline with cash.
The Defence Minister’s position is that negotiations and ransom payments strengthen criminal networks and prolong insecurity—an argument long shared by security hardliners.
El-Rufai’s intervention reinforces that line and implicitly challenges subnational actors—state governments, local powerbrokers, and affected communities—to align with federal strategy rather than pursue parallel arrangements.
Analysis: Policy Clarity vs. Public Skepticism.
Nigeria’s no-ransom posture has strong logic: ransom creates a market signal, attracts new entrants, and expands the operational capacity of kidnapping rings.
But the policy also faces skepticism in the public space because families and communities under pressure often pay privately, and information is frequently fragmented during hostage crises.
That is why analysts say the credibility test for the Tinubu administration is not just repeating “we don’t pay ransom,” but consistently delivering visible rescue outcomes, disrupting logistics (arms flows, fuel, informants), and prosecuting financiers—especially where local deals have become normalized.
What This Signals
For the Tinubu government.
El-Rufai’s comment offers an unexpected reinforcement of a key security narrative: the state must not negotiate from weakness.
For the wider political class, it is also a reminder that insecurity is one issue where credibility is built by results—safer highways, fewer abductions, and dismantled camps—not press statements.
In the days ahead, attention will focus on whether the no-ransom message is matched by stronger inter-agency coordination, tighter state–federal alignment, and sustained operational pressure in kidnapping hotspots.
Headlinenews.news Special report.
