Gov.Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State,has said that criminals posing as repentant bandits tricked the state to believe they have repented in other to get more money to buy weapons for their heinous attacks.
Sani-revealed this while speaking on Thursday with a vigilante group at Mariga local government. The governor revealed that the state government had stopped all forms of dialogues with bandits owing to their trickery.
”Speaking 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.” Said Gov.Sani-Bello.
The governor however, noted that his government will continue to forgive any bandit that surrenders his weapons and repent from his heinous ways and will provide a means of livelihood, though not necessarily with cash.
”Any bandit that surrenders his weapons and repents from his heinous way of living will be forgiven and provided with a means of livelihood which may not necessarily include any cash backing.” Mr. Sani-Bello added.
The 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.
Governor Sani-Bello also added that local vigilantes will be provided with automatic Pump Action Guns among other sophisticated weapons as a means to further tackle insecurity in the State.