Group to Tinubu: Ignore Yerima’s call for negotiation with bandits

The Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressives Union (BEPU) has urged President Bola Tinubu to disregard Ahmad Yerima’s advice of negotiating with bandits.

Yerima, former governor of Zamfara, had on Monday during a meeting with Tinubu called for dialogue with bandits.

The former governor noted that poverty and ignorance were the drivers of armed banditry.

He proposed rehabilitation programmes as part of the ways the government can integrate the bandits into society.

However,  in a statement on Tuesday, Ishaq Kasai, BEPU chairman, said those advocating for dialogue lack the understanding of the structural formation and divergent goals of the armed bandits.

Kasai said negotiating with bandits will not yield positive outcomes, adding that the armed groups view negotiations as a sign of weakness on the side of the government.

“To successfully bring an end to armed banditry business in Nigeria, all bandits’ camps in our various forests must be dislodged as anything short of this will not address or bring a lasting solution to the problem,” the statement reads.

“Engaging in negotiations with armed bandits will never yield significant positive outcomes because past experiences have demonstrated that criminal elements such as armed bandits, often exploit negotiations as a means to buy time, regroup, and strengthen their positions.

“They view negotiations as a sign of weakness of government, which emboldens them to continue their violent activities.”

Kasai added that dialogues with bandits in the past in some states in the north-west did not yield any positive results.

“In fact, all the communities and governments that entered into such negotiations with the bandits later regretted it,” he said.

“Therefore, we want to draw the attention of Mr President to the fact that going for such negotiation will bring setback and distraction in his administration’s determination to bring lasting solutions to the security situation bedevilling Nigeria.

“Negotiating with the bandits will also send a dangerous message to Nigerians, particularly rural dwellers, signalling the government’s incapacity, weakness, and official acknowledgement of parallel governments within the Nigerian state.”