By Seun Opejobi A few days ago, a popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi offered to lead a negotiation with bandits. This i...
By Seun Opejobi
A few days ago, a popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi
offered to lead a negotiation with bandits.
This is not the first time Gumi is toeing this line as he
featured prominently during some form of discussions with bandits during the
past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
However, there are pointers that President Bola Tinubu may
not negotiate with bandits and agitators in his bid to tackle insecurity in
Nigeria.
This is evident in the fact that Tinubu never disclosed any
intention to negotiate with bandits or any other agitating group during his inaugural
speech on May 29.
Vowing to tackle insecurity head-long, the president said
his administration would defend Nigeria from terror and all forms of
criminality that threaten the peace and stability of the country.
He also re-emphasised his stance during the 63rd ordinary
session of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Guinea
Bissau, where he vowed to go out against terrorists.
“As terrorists do not respect boundaries, we must work
collectively to have an effective regional counterterrorism measure,” he had
said.
While Gumi is hinting on negotiation, the Zamfara State
Government thinks otherwise.
The Secretary to the Zamfara State Government (SSG), Alhaji
Abubakar Nakwada, who dropped this hint, said the current administration has no
intention of engaging any leader of bandits or their agent in any discussion
whatsoever, in the name of a peace deal that has never worked before.
“The state government would work in collaboration with
security agencies and fight against insecurity to the doorstep of the bandits
in the state,” he said.
Similarly, a security expert, Alhaji Aminu Danbuba has also
advised Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State not to engage in any negotiations
with bandits in the name of peace.
He recalled that former Governor Matawalle had entered into
a peace accord with bandits, resulting in the alleged spending of billions of
Naira belonging to the state, but with no positive or beneficial results from
the negotiations.
During the administration of former President Buhari, states
like Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, and Kebbi States were mostly affected by
the scourge of banditry.
Gumi was said to have played some roles that led to the
release of some hostages taken by the bandits during that period.
DAILY POST, however, observed that despite past
negotiations, activities of bandits are far from over.
Speaking on the issue, a public affairs commentator, Chuks
Ibegbu, cautioned Tinubu against negotiating with bandits because it won’t
yield any result.
Ibegbu said their aim is to cause mayhem, get money, and
inflict economic pains on Nigerians, hence the need to end them.
Speaking with DAILY POST, Ibegbu said: “Buhari negotiated
with bandits, and what did he achieve? Has it stopped banditry? Buhari
negotiated with criminals in the North. There is nowhere in the world you
negotiate with bandits.
“The aim of bandits is to seek economic benefits and cause
mayhem, so they can never stop.
“But these bandits are human beings; they can’t overwhelm
the Nigerian security apparatus.”
He added: “It’s just like Boko Haram, I believe it’s some
unpatriotic government officials that are promoting banditry.
“The powerful, parasitic elites in the government and
security apparatus are the ones promoting banditry. Boko Haram has refused to
end because some top people are behind it.
“It’s not difficult to destroy Boko Haram within three
months if they are serious. These Boko Haram members and bandits come from
villages.
“Those people that entered Nigeria are hibernating in the
forest, but the true Nigerians live in villages and towns. Those people living
in the forest are not Nigerians but terrorists, what are they doing in the
bush?”
On his part, the National President of Arewa Youths
Consultative Forum, AYCF, Yerima Shettima, cautioned against negotiating with
bandits.
While stressing that bandits have no ideology, Shettima said
it’s a bad idea to engage them.
“The entire struggle of bandits can’t be said to be
ideological.
“Bandits have no ideology, it’s purely an enterprise which
is perpetrated by some criminally minded people. Commercially, they make money
out of it by kidnapping people and making them pay ransom. They also steal
people’s cows.
“To this extent, there is no justification for whatever
reason to dialogue with bandits. It’s good as saying we should bring all the
armed robbers in prison and those who are suspects to dialogue with them.
“Our society can’t strive under such circumstances; let us
not start what we can’t finish; it’s a totally bad idea, because there is no
reason to negotiate with them.
“If the government in its wisdom decides that they are
giving bandits, terrorists six or three months to surrender themselves and
arms, then it’s understood. But to sit down and have an interface, I don’t
think it’s right,” he told DAILY POST.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Taoreed Lagbaja
has ruled out any form of amnesty for bandits and other terrorists.
This is as he described the amnesty programme for bandits
and terrorists in Zamfara and other states, as a failed programme.
Lagbaja, who spoke on Wednesday when he hosted Dauda Lawal,
governor of Zamfara in Abuja, said the programme failed to achieve its purposes
in the past, noting that it only allowed criminals to regroup, reorganise and
attack citizens.
“We also have the issue of the amnesty programme that has
been instituted, and which has failed not only in Zamfara, but so many other
states of the north-west.
“So, I think we need to look at this issue of the amnesty
programme because the criminal elements have proven to be incorrigible.
“The issue of amnesty has created an avenue for them to
regroup and reorganise to launch attacks on our defenceless citizens. So I
think we need to look at that.”
“We will not have a situation where some people constitute
themselves into outlaws and just go into communities and kill children and
defenceless women.
“By working on this with the state government and other
critical stakeholders, we can eliminate these outlaws and reduce the
insecurities by a significant percentage.
“So I want to appeal to you, your excellency, that as we
come up with this strategy to address the issue of the Yan Sakai and other
regional groups, the state government should be disposed to the implementation
of the measures that we will recommend.
“So that together, we will address the activities of these
criminal elements,” Lagbaja said.
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