Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State has said his administration will not negotiate or pay ransom to bandits operating in the state.

According to him, doing so would embolden the bandits to view their actions as a form of business, thereby depleting the state's resources.

A statement issued to newsmen in Minna by the Special Adviser to the governor on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso, revealed that the governor noted that the state had reached a point where the people must stand up and defend themselves, cautioning that ransom payments would only turn kidnapping into a thriving business.

Governor Bago added, "We will not negotiate with bandits. I will not pay ransom. The moment we start paying, they will open shop on our heads and keep kidnapping people," describing the situation as a state of war that required collective resistance.

He further explained that it is a constitutional duty to protect the lives and property of the people, adding that he will do his utmost to achieve this since the constitution does not specify how far he should go in safeguarding the people.

"We are surrounded by enemies, but we will not give up. The constitution gives us the right to defend our lives and property, and we will do just that. There is no going back," he said.

ASA