Federal government has stated that there is nothing wrong in negotiating with bandits.
Gunmen suspected to be bandits stormed Government Science College (GSC) Kagara, Rafi LGA of Niger state, and kidnapped several students, members of staff, and some members of their families, last Wednesday.
However, the executive governor of Niger state Abubakar Bello , had noted that his government was doing everything to rescue the victims, including facilitating dialogues with the bandits.
Also, during a radio programme on Sunday, Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, responded to Nigerians who had spoken against the strategy of dialoguing with criminals.
He stated that nothing is wrong in dialoguing with bandits, as long as the ultimate objective is to make peace.
“After war, people still sit to dialogue. So if some people have taken it upon themselves to visit these people so that they can embrace peace, I don’t think there is anything wrong with that,” the minister explained that the federal government will not pay any ransom to secure the release of abductees of GSC Kagara.
He also denied that ransom was paid to secure the release of over 300 students abducted in Kankara, Katsina state.
On the herders-farmers crisis in parts of the country, the minister said the government is taking steps to address it.
He said the steps include plans for intensive cattle-rearing to ensure that cattle rearing and crop farming don’t conflict.
The Cable
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