Kaduna State Governor Nasir El’rufai has said that his administration is at war with bandits and therefore, cannot negotiate with them.
The governor disclosed this in an interview on Monday with BBC Hausa radio which was monitored by TheLeadng
He noted that a Fulani herdsman who ventured into banditry and collecting millions of naira as ransom will not repent.
“ Anybody that thinks a Fulani man that ventured into kidnapping for ransom and he is earning millions of naira would go back to his former life of getting N100,000 after selling a cow in a year must be deceiving himself.
El’rufai emphasised that eliminating bandits is the only solution to banditry in country.
He also ruled out the issue of forgiveness and compensation for bandits as advocated by the Islamic Scholar, Dr Ahmad Gumi.
Recall that Gumi had visited communities facing insecurity in the Kaduna state and recently, Zamfara State to meet with bandits.
El’rufai also faulted the division among north west governors on who are yet to find a lasting solution to end banditry in the region.
He said some of the governors see dialogue with the bandits as a solution while others didn’t .
” We lack unity among ourselves (governors) in this region to work together to eliminate these bandits. We in Kaduna and Niger state are still communicating on how to end this problem. The Niger governor use to call me and we discuss.
“Why should they be compensated after killing people, destroyed their houses. Who offended them?. Ahmad Gumi is my friend and this is what we discussed with him.
” I told him that the majority of these Fulani bandits don’t believe in religion. Therefore, I don’t believe in what he (Gumi)is doing that they should be forgiven and compensated” he, said.
The governor further added that any bandit arrested in the state will be killed.
