Joe Igbokwe, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has alleged that individuals who lost out in past elections are backing bandits to unleash violence in the North.
According to him, such actions are designed to gain political advantage at the expense of innocent lives.
In a post shared on his Facebook page, Igbokwe cautioned against turning Nigerians into pawns for political survival.
He wrote: “Election losers are employing bandits to kill Nigerians in the North to score cheap political points. Sacrificing Nigerians for election purposes will boomerang.
“Those sponsoring the banditry may be the victims in the fullness of time.”
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His remarks follow the heated exchanges between the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) led by Nuhu Ribadu and former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
El-Rufai had accused the ONSA of making ransom payments to bandits in the region, a claim the security office strongly denied, describing it as false and misleading.
The northern region has for years been plagued by persistent attacks from terrorists and bandit groups.