Nigeria: Bandits Deserve Death Not Ransom, Kaduna Governor el-Rufai Proclaims

Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, Tuesday restated his opposition to negotiation with, and payment of ransom to bandits, saying the federal government should apprehend and kill the outlaws.

“Nobody living in the forest is innocent, and we must kill them all,” he said, adding: “The Chief of Air Staff has been doing well and this has led to a reduction in the activities of bandits in recent times.”

He spoke during a panel discussion on “The Economic and Social Impact of Insecurity on Education,” at the national dialogue on financing safe schools in Nigeria, organised by the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning in Abuja.

Explaining that the target of kidnappers and bandits were girls and boarding schools, el-Rufai said there should be no form of negotiations with the outlaws, adding that anyone found in the forest should be killed.

He advocated the purchase of drones in addition to aircraft in the fight against insecurity, even as he explained that another way to discourage banditry is to stop negotiating with them and paying a ransom.

Speaking in another panel discussion, the Chief of Defence Staff, Irabor, pledged the support of the military for the initiative and other measures to tackle the general insecurity in the land.

He, however, appealed to the media to be more responsible in their reportage of security issues.

He said the narratives found within the media were misleading, adding that the reportage on insecurity causes fear among the people.

He added: “The narratives that you find within the media space are misleading. I will rather that the media begin to tone down the hype that they give to issues that have to do with insecurity.

“The reason is this: it starts stoking fear amongst the people. There’s some sense of confusion that is also introduced such that it would appear that everyone is no longer focused and thinking right to be able to understand what needs to be done at a particular point in time.

“I would rather urge the media to understand that a failed nation is actually not also good for the business of the media. And it’s only when you have a better understanding of the impacts that one is able to make progress.

“We desire to live in an environment where peace and security prevail.”

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