The governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda, disclosed that the bandits are enlisting young people for crime for as little as N500.
In an appearance with Politics Today on Channels Television, Governor Radda disclosed this information.
He claims that one of the main causes of banditry in the nation is poverty.
“The hypothesis that links political motivation to banditry is untrue,” he declared.
“Secondly, poverty was a contributing factor in the recruitment of bandits under the logistics services because, interestingly, you could persuade some of these young people to participate in this lucrative exercise for N5,000, N2,000, or N500,” he stated.
The governor expressed concern that some people were turning banditry into a business including government officials.
He claimed that it has now been revealed to be a corporate endeavor. A criminal enterprise that benefits some government officials, criminals, security personnel, and individuals in charge of overseeing the daily operations of their constituents.
“There are a lot of reasons why we can’t put an end to banditry.”
Remember that many people have been slaughtered by bandits during their frequent raids on northern rural areas.
Amidst requests for talks with bandits, President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to controlling insecurity.
However, the governor of Katsina State declared that his administration would never bargain from a “position of weakness.”
“You have to comprehend the topography of the forest and the various camps that exist within it. For example, in Katsina, there are over a hundred camps overseen by various leaders.
He stated, “So, they have many leaders and many camps, and it will not bring any lasting peace if you are negotiating with camps A and B and not with camps C and D.”
“The other followers of the leaders may not necessarily comply with the directives of their leader,” added Radda, “even if you negotiate with the leaders.”
For this reason, negotiating with the bandits is an extremely challenging undertaking.
He declared, “What I would never do is enter into negotiations at the point of weakness with any criminal.”
