Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar says government negotiations with bandits favour the criminals over their victims.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by Paul Ibe, his media
adviser, Abubakar said bandits often renege on the peace terms agreed with the
government.
He said it is difficult to achieve deterrence when governors
are on their knees begging bandits in the name of peace deals.
While noting that he is not opposed to negotiations to end
the violence, the former vice-president kicked against a situation in which the
bandits dictate the terms of peace deals.
“Those peace deals always favour the bandits more than their
victims, and they have always fooled the government’s negotiators,” he said.
Abubakar said the government should not wait until the
bandits launch attacks before responding.
“Nigerians are no longer impressed by the powerful language of condemnation by the government. They’re more interested in results than rhetoric,” he said.
“Experience has shown that if rhetoric were enough to deter
the bandits, the menace would have ended a long time ago.”
Some state governments, including Katsina, have been
negotiating with bandits to stop attacks and abductions of residents.
The Katsina government is reportedly facilitating the
release of 70 suspected bandits in custody, a move it described as essential to
consolidating community-driven peace agreements with “repentant bandits” in
several LGAs.
But the African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain said the
President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration must
be held accountable for its campaign promises to end insecurity in the country.
“Nigerians cannot be comforted by excuses. As a former
opposition party, the APC held the then government in power to the harshest and
merciless standards, and therefore, the Tinubu administration must be held to
the same standards,” Abubakar said.
He also condemned the abduction of over 100 residents in
Kajuru LGA of Kaduna state on Sunday, noting that bandits are audaciously
attacking communities unchallenged.
Abubakar said it is concerning that while some states are
claiming victory in their peace deals with bandits, the criminals are attacking
communities and taking residents hostage.
“It is colossally embarrassing to see non-state actors
holding the country hostage and attacking people and taking hostages again and
again unchallenged,” Abubakar added.
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