Amnesty, ransom will encourage bandits, kidnapping - Peter Obi

The vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 general elections, Peter Obi, has said he disagreed with those advocating the payment of ransom and granting amnesty for bandits.

He said doing so would encourage criminality in the country.

Obi stated this in an interview with journalists on the sideline of the presentation of a book, ‘Made in Aba,’ an autobiography of the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, in Abuja on Monday.

He said, “By paying a ransom, you’re paying people who aren’t productive. People are making money without being productive.

“To pay people for going into crime is unacceptable. If you’re going to pay kidnappers and grant them amnesty for committing a crime, you’re simply asking everyone to take to crime.”

He attributed the growing insecurity and worsening poverty in the country to the refusal of the federal authorities to allow power devolution to the federating units.

The former Anambra State governor said Abaribe, in his book, reviewed what the people should be in public office.

He said, “We should always have the courage to speak against injustice, falsehood, and most importantly speaking truth to power.

“This is very difficult in our dear country where being so could be seen as an offence; a great offence. I know that myself.

“I know what I go through when I speak in public or do any sort of interview. You will see people asking you, ‘Where did you get this figure? How did you come about this?”