Stop arming people’s children for election — Diri warns politicians

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has warned politicians and those seeking public offices to cease from arming young people for the purpose achieving their aims, describing the political patronage of criminals to perpetrate electoral malpractices as one of the greatest security challenges in Nigeria.

Senator Diri stated this on Monday during the presentation of a report by the Policy Advocacy Committee of Niger Delta Dialogue led by a former Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Tonye Isenah at the Government House in Yenagoa.

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The governor’s chief press secretary, Daniel Alabrah, quoted him as saying that intake of hard drugs and taking possession if ammunition drive young people into crimes.

He also advocated a legislation to curb the trend, which he noted was traceable to most criminal activities in the state.

He commended the members of the committee for keying into the state government’s policy of zero tolerance to crime and recommended that the jail term for kidnappers in the state be amended by the legislature and prescribed a minimum of 10 years.

The governor expressed his administration’s commitment to partner with the committee in ensuring that cultism, kidnapping and sea piracy are reduced to the barest minimum.

He said: “As a government, we abhor political patronage of criminals. I advise politicians to stop using other people’s children by equipping them with AK-47 rifles and introducing them to hard drugs to actualise their political interests rather than providing them with sound education.

“We need to tinker with that piece of legislation bordering on kidnapping in the state and amend it. The jail term should be a minimum of 10 years to serve as a deterrent to others.”

Chairman of the Policy Advocacy Committee of Niger Delta Dialogue, Hon. Tonye Isenah, said the body in conjunction with the European Union was carrying out a study on security issues across the states of the Niger Delta region with a view to proffering solutions.

He explained that the committee would work closely with other relevant stakeholders such as traditional rulers, security agencies and leaders in the three senatorial districts of the state to ensure that crime rate is reduce to the barest minimum in the state.