Police, Military Officers Linked To Bandits — Governor El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has said that preliminary investigation reports have linked some serving police and military officers to the bandits operating in some parts of the state.

Speaking during the weekly briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Media Team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, El-Rufai disclosed that the aforementioned security operatives have been communicating with the assailants.

He added that the government hasn't gotten clear evidence to support the investigation report, emphasizing that there was still a lot of work to be done.

"We’re concerned and it’s not impossible to have infiltrators. As I alluded to when I was answering this question, the preliminary report of (investigation into) Boko Haram financing also showed some links to bandits and pointed to some police and military officers in service as having some communication or connection with the bandits.

"So, there’s always that risks, in any system you have traitors and we are concerned about that. But to date, we don’t have any firm evidence of that. I think a lot more work needs to be done", he stated.

Speaking further, Governor El-Rufai added that the financing and logistics chain of the bandits needed to be stopped urgently as the money they are making from ransoms being collected is destabilizing to the nation.