… Niger Senator Seeks New Strategy to Stop Killings

… Kukah Blames FG for Increased Crime

From Dan Amasingha, Minna

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday played host to Sheikh Ahmad Gumi led a delegation to in Abeokuta, Ogun State,  over the insecurity in the country.

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He meeting demanded that all persons bearing arms illegally must be punished and that special courts should be created to handle cases of banditry, kidnapping, among other crimes.

On Gumi’s entourage were Prof. Usman Yusuf, Mallam Tukur Mamu, Dr. Umar Ardo, Dr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, Honourable Suleiman Gumi, Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu and Mallam Buba Mohammed,

Obasanjo received Gumi in the presence of Oba Babajide Bakre, Agura of Gbagura, Abeokuta; Bishop Tunde Akin-Akinsanya, Chairman of Ogun State Christian Association of Nigeria; Sheikh Sa’addallah Alade Bamigbola, Chief Imam of Egbaland; Chief Kenny Martins, Chief Ola Babajide Jaiyeoba; Rev. Tony Ojeshina, Chief Imams of Oke-Ona, Gbagura, Owu and Mr. Vitalis Ortese.

Gumi briefed Obasanjo on the measures and steps he had taken and spearheaded to stem the tide of insecurity and menace of banditry, kidnapping and ransom payment in many parts of the North.

The Islamic scholar, at the meeting, clarified some statements credited to him and insisted his intentions were genuine.

Obasanjo commended Sheikh Gumi for his initiative and encouraged him not to relent in his efforts, while Gumi thanked him for his past services emphasising the special unifying efforts.

A statement on Sunday by Obasanjo’s spokesman, Kehinde Akinyemi, made public the details of the meeting.

The participants agreed that the menace of banditry, kidnapping, other crimes and atrocities leading to general insecurity is a nationwide phenomenon.

“We acknowledge that people from different parts of the country and outside the country are involved although some people are more predominantly involved than others.

“We must not advertently or inadvertently, in words, action or inaction encourage or support criminality. We identified the crisis as micro ethnic conflict between the Fulani and many host communities mainly in the North West.

“We identified the remote causes as educational and economic disparities, and the negative use of religion and ethnicity by unscrupulous politicians.

“Solutions must be seen and provided on short, medium-, and long-term bases and must be composed of stick and carrot for the offender and the vulnerable.

“Nigerians should desist from blame game; desist from ethnicizing crimes; desist from religionizing crimes; desisting from regionalising crimes; respect one another individually, community-wise, locally, ethnically, religiously and socially;

“Show tolerance and accommodation where necessary; condemn criminal acts no matter where it is committed and by whom it is committed in Nigeria; encourage more of carrot solution as may be found necessary; share information at all levels; reject criminality as a way of life for any individual or group in our nation.

“Since the end of the civil war, the military is the strongest and most potent instrument and symbol of national unity that we have and we must keep them so.

“State governments must have adequate means of providing security for their people and as chief executives and chief security officers of their states, they must have the means at their disposal to ensure security for all within their states.

“Federal government must be proactive and secure necessary and updated intelligence to deal with organised crimes and have common policy for the nation. It is not solving the problem when one state goes for negotiation and molly-cuddling of criminals and another one goes for shooting them. Nor should one state go for ransom payment and another one going against.

“Education is one main key to solve the problem in the long run but it must start now. The 14 million children that should be in school and are out of school must be put in school with local authorities, state governments and the federal government working together.

“Wean those who are ready to be weaned out of the bushes and crime, settle and rehabilitate them, give them skills, empower them and let them have employment.

“The hardened criminals must be hard hit with sticks. Unlawful carrying of arms should be very seriously punished. Federal government should take the issue up seriously within ECOWAS to work for a regional solution.

“Every community must be encouraged and empowered to stand firm and strong against criminals. There should be protection and reward covertly for whistleblowers against criminals living in the community.”

“Special courts should be created to deal promptly with cases of banditry, kidnapping, ransom demanding and unlawful carrying of weapons.”

Niger Senator Seeks New Strategy to Stop Killings

The Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, has advised Nigeria’s security agencies to adopt new strategies to fight insurgencies and banditry now prevailing in parts of the country.

Senator Musa made the suggestion against the backdrop of the massacre of seven security operatives in their Allawa security base in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger state on Thursday last week.

He lamented that the nation was losing too many of its trained personal to bandits and even the Boko Haram elements which requires that the top echelon of the armed forces should re-strategise to protect our soldiers ant the policemen.

He said it will not be out of place if the military and other security forces force the bandits and other criminals from their hiding places in the forests since they have turned the forests to their abodes from where the unleash mayhem on innocent and peace loving Nigerians.

Musa described as shocking and totally unacceptable the massacre of these security men by these lawless and blood thirsty bandits saying everything should be done to exterminate them once and for all.

He however said the army and police authorities should reconsider their decision to close the military camps at Allawa and Bassa as a result of Thursday’s incident.

Closing the camps is not the solution to the problem since chopping off the head has never been the solution to persistent headache, what we should do is to devise new methods of tackling insurgency and banditry.

The closing of the camps will open the communities to more attacks by bandits he said

Musa commiserated with officers and men of the Nigerian Army and those of the police as well as the families of the deceased security operatives who lost their lives in the attacks by these bandits and pray to God to grant the souls of the departed eternal rest and their families the fortitude to bare the irreparable loss.

I charge their families to take this ugly incident as an act of God and that these our loved ones died in the service to the nation.

 Kukah Blames FG for Increased Crime

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, has blamed the Federal Government for the increased cases of banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and armed robbery in the country.

According to him, banditry and kidnapping are on the increase in the country because those in power pay more attention to rehabilitating bandits and kidnappers, instead of the victims of such crimes.

Giving his 2021 Easter message titled, ‘Before our glory departs’, yesterday, Kukah expressed concern over the killings of security operatives and “helplessness” of the citizens, noting that Nigeria has become a massive killing field, where both government and the governed look helpless.

“Taunted by Boko Haram, ravaged by bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, and other merchants of death across the nation, there is collective fear as to whether Nigeria’s glory is about to depart! Retired military and intelligence officers lament over what has become of their glorious profession as they watch the humiliation of our military personnel.

“Traumatised citizens are tortured daily by bandits. The nation has since become a massive killing field, as both government and the governed look on helplessly.

“A thick and suffocating cloud of desperation, despondency, desolation, gloom, and misery hangs in the hot air. We have no message and have no idea how long this will last. Our people seek solace and protection, but frustration and darkness threaten to drown them. Is their government on AWOL?

“Sadly, human life is haemorrhaging so badly in Nigeria, but the greatest tragedy is the death of empathy from those in power. Mysteriously, the government is investing billions of naira in rehabilitating so-called Boko Haram repentant members and their other partners in crime in the belief that they want to turn a new leaf.

“These criminals have waged war against their country, murdered thousands of citizens, destroyed infrastructure and rendered entire families permanently displaced and dislocated. Why should rehabilitating the perpetrator be more important than bringing succour to the victims?

“When kidnapped or killed, victims and their families are left to their wits. They cry alone, bury their loved ones alone. And our government expects us to be patriotic? The victims of violence need empathy, which the dictionary defines as the ability to understand and share the feelings of the other,” Kukah stated.

Kukah maintained that a critical deficit of empathy on the side of the government had made the healing of victims of abduction almost impossible, as the government was yet to initiate a rehabilitation programme for the schoolchildren that were victims of abduction.

“We seem to assume that their return to their schools is sufficient. Left unaddressed, the traumatic effect of their horrors will haunt them for a long time.

“Tomorrow’s parents, military generals, top security men and women, governors, senators, and ministers will come from today’s pool of traumatised children. The security quandary is the greatest indictment of this government,” he added.