ABUJA, Nigeria – A political commentator, Ahamed Datti Baba, has made explosive allegations against former President Muhammadu Buhari and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, claiming they played key roles in the emergence of banditry and terrorism currently plaguing northern Nigeria.
Speaking during a live programme on Channels Television, Datti Baba alleged that both men were part of a team allegedly formed in the aftermath of the 2011 presidential election, purportedly to destabilize the administration of then-President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
“Nasir El-Rufai was part of the team formed by Buhari to import bandits and arms from Libya in preparation to remove Goodluck Ebele Jonathan after the 2011 election,” Datti Baba claimed.
According to him, the group’s actions led to the creation of the banditry and violent extremism now ravaging the Arewa region. He linked the roots of the current insecurity in the North to what he described as a calculated political move that spiraled out of control.
“They created the bandits and the terrorism ravaging Arewa today,” he said.
Datti Baba also referenced Buhari’s controversial 2012 statement that “the blood of monkeys and baboons will flow” if the 2015 elections were rigged, claiming that it sparked widespread violence and destruction in Kaduna and other northern states.
“The statement Buhari made about the blood of monkeys and baboons brought violence in Kaduna and so many lives were destroyed,” he added.
His comments have sparked heated reactions online, with many calling for further investigation into the claims. Neither El-Rufai nor Buhari has issued a response to the allegations as of the time of this report.
The Nigerian public continues to express mixed feelings, as the issue of insecurity particularly banditry and insurgency remains one of the country’s most pressing challenges more than a decade after the 2011 election crisis.
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