Northern youths, under the aegis of the Coalition of Northern Youths Consultative Movement (CNYCM), have lambasted former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai for claiming that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Kaduna State government made monthly payments to bandits to fight insecurity.
The coalition described the comment as “reckless, baseless, and irresponsible” and called for a public apology from the former governor for the harm his words have caused.
El-Rufai made the comments when he featured on a national television programme on Sunday.
In a statement by its National Coordinator, Yusuf Musa Audu, and National Secretary, Bilal Galadima, the CNYCM said: “As leaders, we must prioritise communication that fosters national cohesion and encourages collaborative problem-solving rather than rhetoric that could exacerbate existing tensions.”
The group urges politicians and leaders to exercise caution in their public statements, particularly on sensitive issues like national security.
Also, a human rights advocacy group, the Transparency and Accountability Network (TAN), has told the United Nations (UN) and world powers to declare El-Rufai a global persona non grata
The group also urged the international community to slam the former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister with entry denial into their countries.
It described him as a “merchant of hate” whose actions and utterances threaten peace and humanity.
In an open letter addressed to the Secretary General of the United Nations, ambassadors and High Commissioners of the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America, Canada, China, and other nations represented in Nigeria, TAN’s National Coordinator, Michael Briggs, urged the international community to act decisively on El-Rufai’s actions.
Briggs accused the ex-governor of “stoking the fire of ethnic and religious hatred” through recent comments.
Hate speech: Declare El-Rufai global persona non grata, group tells USA, UK
The activist alleged that El-Rufai sought to dismiss and dehumanise the people of Southern Kaduna.
“On live television, he looked into the eyes of a nation and began the process of wiping a people off the map,” Briggs wrote.
“He is telling his followers that these people do not count, that they are not enough to matter. When you believe people do not matter, it becomes easy to look away when they are slaughtered.”
TAN’s national coordinator gave reason for asking the international community to take action against El-Rufai.
He said: “We cannot allow a man who threatens genocide against his people to find a haven in your countries. He does not deserve your visa. He does not deserve your protection. He does not deserve a single moment of peace while the ghosts of those he has wronged still cry out for justice.”
But El-Rufai has fired back at the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Kaduna State government (KDSG).
The former governor accused them of politicising national security and diverting public funds under the guise of fighting insecurity.
In a strongly worded rejoinder issued late on Monday, El-Rufai said: “It is a well-known fact to discerning Nigerians that the face of the politicisation of national security for politically intended purposes resides, for the first time in our recent history, in the ONSA under its present leadership.”
The former governor alleged that the ONSA, in collaboration with a northern senator, failed in managing terrorism and banditry, while engaging in propaganda and protocol duties at the expense of security operations.
by Jide Orintunsin, Abuja, Frank Ikpefan, Abuja and AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna @TheNation
