“Bandits’ Sinister Arsenal Was Funded By Government Payments”, Former Katsina SSG Warns Tinubu, Ribadu

Eko Hot Blog reports that the former Secretary to the Government of Katsina State, Dr. Mustapha Inuwa has said negotiation with the bandits would be futile as they (bandits) won’t accept the negotiation.

This is coming against the backdrop of call on President Bola Ahmad Tinubu to negotiate with bandits by former Zamfara State Governor.

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Dr. Inuwa who doubles as the Chairman, Amnesty Programme to end banditry in the state, said it is impossible for the bandits to leave banditry and embrace negotiation because of how kidnapping has become lucrative.

He maintained that no legitimate work can fetch them the kind of money they make from the banditry activities.

He suggested use of force as the way out while calling for concerted efforts on the part of both security agencies and the respective Governors of problem states to bring the bandits down on their kneels.

According to him, “I believe it is very wrong advice for a former governor and senator especially from a state worst hit by the activities of bandits to even contemplate negotiating with the bandits despite the atrocities committed by them in these states and Nigeria as a whole.

“We tried from 2017 to 2019 but it didn’t work because they are not sincere. We were compelled to go into that because we realized the security agencies were not doing what they ought to do.

So we were under serious pressure from the people as they looked up to us to bring the menace to an end. And that was why we settled for the non kinetic approach. It lasted for brief period before it failed.

“It failed because, one, they were not sincere and second, because they are not organized and don’t have common leaders whom if you negotiate with can serve as their representatives.

They have rivalry and different groups. It is unlike when you are fighting a group on ideology, where they have a common leader, where you negotiate with him and he leads them. It is not that way. Bandits have different groups. How many will you deal with? Dealing with some groups and leaving out others will even create problems. And different groups are emerging daily.

“And also these people are thieves and criminals, if you negotiate with them what will you give them? Will you be giving them salary or what? Then people who are used to getting huge sums of money, especially with this kidnapping activities. So there is nothing legitimate that they can do to get something close to what they are getting through the kidnapping activities.

So it is impossible for this people to willingly accept to leave what they are doing for anything that you promise them. Because you cannot promise them what is close to what they are getting. In 2017 to 2019, we tried it and realized money we gave them was used to buy more arms. President Tinubu and his news NSA, Ribadu should not make the mistake of negotiating with them.

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“So, honestly I don’t in any way advice the present leadership of President Tinubu to even contemplate on this issue. What is needed is for all the security agencies to organize a sustained onslaught on these people. If they have to organize, the ground and air operations, it is a matter of few months, they are going to deal with these people. One, they are all locals, 99.9 percent of people involved in these are local fulani here. Their parents are known.

“Two, they are not that trained as people may think. And moreover, the area is an area that is accessible. It is not a difficult terrain. We have locals who could penetrate, provide x-ray, intelligence required. But it has to be well coordinated in such a way that it is done simultaneously from all the states and neighbouring country like Niger Republic are ever ready as they have been collaborating with us. He said.

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