Tinubu may negotiate with ‘repentant bandits’ – Sani Yerima

A former Zamfara Governor, Sani Yerima said President Bola Tinubu may dialogue with bandits in a bid to restore lasting peace and security to the country.

Yerima stated this while speaking after his visit to President Tinubu at the State House on Monday.

He said, “A lot of bandits have been arrested and killed, and I’m not saying government should just continue to just negotiate indefinitely. No, I said invite them.

“There are people, who repent in all religions – Islam, Christian, Judaism, with the fact that God, who created us once you repent after committing offences, after committing sins he forgives you, so there’s no way you can say Nigerians should not be forgiven if they repent.

“If they repent, they should be rehabilitated and reintegrated into the society and then measures should be taken to avoid reoccurrence of this menace.

“But, if they don’t the government has enough power, enough resources, the military, the security have enough capacity. I have confidence in the Nigerian security that they have enough capacity with the political will and support of the government to handle this matter. So, dialogue is part of governance,” he said.

Recall that Yerima earlier asked Tinubu to dialogue with bandits, just as the late former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua dialogued with Niger Delta militants.

Yerima, in an interview with BBC Hausa on Saturday, had said, “I’m advising the government to, first of all, find time to sit with these bandits, just like they sat with Niger Delta militants in the past. Because a majority of them are Nigerians, even though there are some foreigners among them.

“But Nigerians among them can be convinced, as the Niger Delta militants were convinced and empowered to stop.

“if that fails, then the government can use force on them wherever they are,” he said.

Yerima’s advocacy for dialogue with bandits comes on the heels of an increasing spate of indiscriminate killings and kidnapped citizens for ransom across the country.

Meanwhile, the former Zamfara governor said though some bandits terrorising Nigeria are foreigners.

Recall that, Yerima introduced sharia law in Zamfara state 23 years ago.

Under Yerima’s administration in 2000, Bello Buba Jangebe was amputated for stealing a cow following a Zamfara Sharia Court ruling.

Similarly, in 2001, Lawali Isa, who stole a bicycle, had his wrist cut.