Enlist 774,000 youths from LGs against bandits, El-Rufai tells FG
The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has asked the Federal Government to declare bandits terrorizing the North-West geo-political zone of the country as ‘insurgents or terrorists’.
The declaration, the Governor said, would enable the nation’s military to attack and kill “these bandits without any major consequences in the international law”.
The Governor spoke after receiving the third quarter security report from the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, inKaduna.
he also said the recruitment of 1,000 youths from each of the 774 local government areas of the country could go a long way in tackling insecurity in parts of the country.
The Commissioner, had earlier in his report, said the bandits killed no fewer than 343 and abducted 830 persons, among them women and minors within the third quarter of the year in the state.
El-Rufai also called for simultaneous approach in the fight against banditry.
El-Rufai called on the Federal Government to embark on massive recruitment of security agents.
“An influx or addition of 774,000 new boots on the ground in various security agencies will be a significant blow against criminals and an employment creating opportunity.
Backing the National Assembly’s resolution to declare bandits as terrorists, the Governor said, “We, in Kaduna State have called for the declaration of bandits as insurgents and terrorists. We have written letters too the Federal Government since 2017, asking for this declaration becase it is this declaration that will allow the Nigerian military to attack and kill these bandits without any major consequences in the international law.
“So, we support the resolution by the National Assembly and we are going to follow up with a letter for the Federal Government to declare these bandits and insurgents as terrorists, so that there will be a fair game for our military”.
