Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani-Bello has disclosed that bandits who lied to the state that they have repented did that to get money to acquire more weapons for their criminal activities.
The Niger State governor stated this on Wednesday during a meeting with vigilante group at Mariga local government.
Sani-Bello stated that the state government had stopped all forms of dialogues with bandits owing to their trickery.
“From experience, it has been discovered that the repentant bandits, after collecting cash from the dialogue option, they will purchase more weapons and return to their old ways of banditry,” he said.
He however maintained that the state is willing to forgive any bandit that surrenders his weapons and genuinely repent from his heinous ways.
Sani-Bello vows that his administration would provide a means of livelihood, though not necessarily with cash.
“Any bandit that surrenders his weapons and repents from his heinous way of living would be forgiven and provided with a means of livelihood which would not necessarily include any cash backing,” Mr. Sani-Bello added.
The Niger governor also commended the effort of the local vigilantes, assuring them that plans of compensation for those who lost their lives in the fight against banditry is underway and would remain a continuous exercise.
