Byline: IDNN Politics & Security Desk
Former political aide Ben Kure has launched a scathing attack on former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, branding him a manipulator who left behind a legacy of division and insecurity.
Kure alleged that El-Rufai covertly paid bandits during his time in office, a policy he said entrenched criminality and emboldened kidnappers and terror gangs across the state.
“El-Rufai is a manipulator. He deceived people with tough talk while secretly funding bandits. That is why Kaduna is still bleeding today,” Kure said in a recent interview.
The former aide argued that while El-Rufai presented himself as a reformist, his back-channel dealings with violent groups worsened Kaduna’s fragile security and turned communities into targets for extortion.
“Rather than confront insecurity head-on, he built a system of fear and compromise. Today, people in Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Kajuru, and Kachia live with scars of his failed governance,” he added.
Kure’s comments come as El-Rufai faces mounting criticism from state officials, including Governor Uba Sani’s administration, which has accused him of incitement and manipulation following the August by-elections.
Political observers note that the accusations reflect deepening fissures within Kaduna’s elite and a broader debate over how insecurity was handled under El-Rufai’s leadership.
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