Ransom, amnesty won’t end banditry - Northern CAN

Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Northern States and Abuja chapter, has said that payment of ransom and granting of amnesty to kidnappers will not end banditry.

CAN stated that intelligence gathering, leading to exposure of the perpetrators and sponsors of banditry could help in ending the menace.

The Executive Secretary, Christian Pilgrims Commission, Pastor Yakubu Pam, made the observation in an interview yesterday shortly after paying a condolence visit to the pioneer Secretary General of the Northern CAN, Samuel Salifu, over the death of his wife.

“The issue of paying ransom to kidnappers will not solve this problem. What will solve the problem is our intelligence gathering efforts. People are being cheated because of lack of information. When we have information of who these bad people are, I think Nigeria will solve the problem. If we are very sincere in bringing them out, even if it is my son, let him face the wrath of the law,” Pam declared.

He also cautioned against giving blanket amnesty to bandits, saying it should be done in a way that those receiving it would know the value of it. He also charged community leaders to take responsibility of addressing young people on good virtues that could help build the nation.