The Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressives’ Union (BEPU) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to disregard the recent calls made by Senator Ahmed Sani Yeriman Bakura, former governor of Zamfara State, and other advocates for negotiations with bandits.
According to BEPU, these calls demonstrate a lack of understanding of the nature of bandits and their divergent goals, which have led to widespread destruction, loss of life and destabilisation within the country.
BEPU in a statement issued by its Chairman, Ishaq Usman Kasai emphasised that in order to effectively end the business of banditry in Nigeria, all bandit camps in various forests must be dislodged.
He said anything short of this would only provide a temporary solution, adding that engaging in negotiations with bandits is unlikely to yield positive outcomes, as past experiences have shown that criminal elements such as bandits exploit negotiations to buy time, regroup and strengthen their positions.
He added that negotiations were seen as a sign of weakness by the government, which further emboldened them to continue their violent activities.
BEPU urged President Tinubu to consider the lack of centralised leadership among the armed bandits in Nigeria, making it difficult to ensure compliance with any negotiated terms.
