Mahdi Shehu has accused ex-Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai of hypocrisy, recalling his own admissions of paying armed groups while now condemning others for similar tactics.
Human rights activist Mahdi Shehu has accused former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai of hypocrisy over his recent remarks on national security.
El-Rufai, in a Channels Television interview last week, faulted Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu for allegedly making payments to bandits. But Shehu argued that El-Rufai himself once admitted to adopting similar tactics.
Citing a Vanguard report from December 2016, Shehu recalled El-Rufai’s own words: “We took specific measures by sending teams to trace these individuals in countries like Cameroon and Niger, informing them that there is a new governor who is Fulani, willing to pay compensation for lives lost, and urging them to stop the killings.”
Shehu said it was contradictory for El-Rufai to condemn methods he once defended. “Is this not the same El-Rufai who admitted to paying compensation and gifts to armed groups, yet now condemns others simply because he is no longer in the corridors of power?” he asked.
The activist further described El-Rufai’s interview as marked by “anger, bitterness, and vindictiveness,” urging him to heed the biblical admonition: “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”