We were deceived to believe bandits genuinely repented, governor laments

The Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello has expressed his worries over the worsening security situation in the state, among other states of the North East, saying that criminals posing as repentant bandits tricked the state to believe they have repented to get more money to buy weapons for their heinous attacks.

Mr. Sani-Bello who said this on Thursday to a vigilante group at Mariga Local Government, revealed 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.

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The governor, however, noted that the government will continue to forgive any bandit that surrenders his weapons and repent from his heinous ways and would be provided 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 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 SaniBello also added that local vigilantes would be provided with automatic Pump Action Guns among other sophisticated weapons.