I won’t bargain with criminals - Bello

Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has reiterated his stand not to engage in any negotiation with bandits, kidnappers or terrorists, noting that such stand was a key ingredient in Kogi State’s fight against insecurity and criminals.

Bello made this known while responding to questions on security in the Northcentral on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily.

He gave an instance of a particular amnesty offered to a renowned bandit group in Nasarawa State after a particular top politician assured the government of the genuineness of the group’s repentance, adding that the group, unfortunately, reneged on their promise and were currently wreaking havoc in communities within that region.

He pointed out that strong political will was required to tackle security challenges of any type and the steps his administration took in a state bedevilled with security challenges was to deal ruthlessly with crime perpetrators and their sponsors.

The governor added that security was not only the responsibility of the Nigerian Army, the police and other security operatives but community ownership must also be instilled to facilitate trust and active participation of the people in their own security and safety, particularly intelligence sharing.