The political feud between the Kaduna State government and former governor Nasir El-Rufai has escalated, with the state government issuing a "final warning" to its predecessor.
In a public statement, the government accused El-Rufai of recent actions aimed at "destabilizing the peace and governance" of the state.
The warning, issued on Monday, came after El-Rufai made a series of explosive allegations in a television interview a day earlier.
During an appearance on Channels Television's "Sunday Politics," El-Rufai accused the federal and Kaduna State governments of empowering bandits through a "kiss-the-bandits policy."
He alleged that state actors were giving bandits a "monthly allowance" and supplying them with food under the guise of a non-kinetic approach to security.
"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," the former governor said.
"My position has always been (that) the only repentant bandit is a dead one."
The comments drew immediate condemnation from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Kaduna State government.
In a strongly worded statement signed by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, the Kaduna government accused El-Rufai of "plotting to unleash mayhem across the state" and attempting to "incite public anger and legitimise criminality."
It also linked El-Rufai's actions to recent electoral defeats suffered by his political allies and vowed that "no individual, no matter how highly placed or previously powerful, will be allowed to destabilize the state."
The warning is the latest development in a high-profile disagreement involving El-Rufai, the Presidency, and the National Security Adviser.
