Nigeria’s President Muhammad Buhari Rules out Amnesty for Bandits
The president represented by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, his chief of staff during a joint security meeting of the Northern State Governors’ Forum and traditional rulers said his administration will continue to deal with bandits, kidnappers and insurgents in the country.
Buhari said Nigeria is battling with different dimensions of security challenges, adding that he had ordered security chiefs to devise new strategies to end insecurity in the country.
He further advised that criminality in Nigeria should be handled without resorting to ethnic profiling.
The president said, “I must appreciate the efforts of the 19 Northern States Governors’ Forum for their contribution towards national growth and development, especially in this challenging period in our nation’s being where certain fundamental corporate existence needs to be frankly deliberated upon and actionable resolutions reached.
“This meeting is coming at a time when the nation is making steady progress in addressing the many challenges impeding developmental and progress. We are providing critical infrastructure such as roads, railways, airports among others which are critical to economic prosperity of our people as well as opening up economic opportunities for our citizens to pursue legitimate aspirations that grow the economy.
“At the same time, we are confronting the various dimensions of security challenges that continue to slow down the emancipation of our people from poverty and economic deprivation. The Government shall continue to deal with insurgents, bandits, kidnappers and other criminals who constitute a threat to innocent citizens across the country.
“Criminals are criminals and should be dealt with accordingly, without resorting to ethnic profiling. I have already tasked the new Service Chiefs to devise new strategies that will end this ugly situation where the lives of our people continue to be threatened by hoodlums and criminals.
“I expect that at this meeting, your Forum will also discuss and devise ways of building stronger collaboration with the security architecture and the people in defeating criminality across the region and the nation at large.”
This is coming after a popular Islamic cleric in Kaduna, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi after meeting with bandits and kidnappers called on the Federal Government to grant amnesty to them to end banditry in the northern part of the country.
