Banditry: A step beyond dialogue

The spate of kidnapping and banditry has been one of the front burner issues that ignited heated reactions amongst Nigerians. Heightening scares across the country, citizens, specifically those from the lower class, are unfortunately at the receiving end of the menace. The development has sadly continued to claim lives while simultaneously living significant number of […]

The spate of kidnapping and banditry has been one of the front burner issues that ignited heated reactions amongst Nigerians.

Heightening scares across the country, citizens, specifically those from the lower class, are unfortunately at the receiving end of the menace.

The development has sadly continued to claim lives while simultaneously living significant number of facilities destroyed aside multimillion naira paid in ransom.

This prompted criticisms from opinion leaders who bicker on the security approaches and responses used in confronting the bandits and insurgents ravaging the country.

While many prominent figures see dialogue as the best strategy toward addressing the issue, others disagree.

Given that the issue at stake is a matter of urgent national concern that craves effective measures for a lasting solution, it is imperative to review the current security approaches.

We have recognized to-date, the concerted efforts by stakeholders to dialogue with the bandits which didn’t yield any fruit.

The state governors, who maintained that dialogue is the answer to address problems of banditry and kidnapping, also have both scientific and logical grounds for their propositions but in the meantime, I believe, like President Buhari, reprisal would be more effective than dialogue.

We have witnessed a number of roundtables between the bandits and representatives of governments  with other individuals, institutions and organizations playing mediatory roles that equally made no impact. Enough! It’s time to employ kinetic approaches to flush the fools from their hideouts and trace their sponsors and make them face the wrath of the law.

Dialogue is, of course, one of the key ways of handling issues like that but where it fails, the gallant forces must march forward to police our territories.

 

Yusuf Mairiga Shekarau, [email protected]. sent this piece