Don’t Negotiate With Terrorists, Seek Outside Help If Helpless, CAN Warns FG

The Federal Government has been warned against negotiating with bandits and terrorists or granting them amnesty, stressing that that was not the answer to curbing the issue.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), gave the warning, adding that the Federal Government should seek foreign help if it was so helpless and could not fight terrorism.

The Secretary of CAN, North-West Zone, Sunday Oibe, issued the warning in an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday.

Oibe while reacting to an allegation that some officials of the Federal Government were negotiating with bandits in Zamfara State, noted the problem will keep coming as long as the country’s leaders are living in denial.

He said, “It’s shameful and disgusting for the Nigerian state to keep doing this to us as a people. We have been hearing the expression, ‘unknown gunmen’ did this and that over and over again. Suddenly, the unknown gunmen are now known to the point that the federal might is even allowing some of its officials to enter into negotiation with the bandits.

“As long as we keep living in denial, this problem shall remain unsolved. There’s nothing like bandits or unknown gunmen. This is an organised crime against the rest of us that are helpless. The successive governments know them, hire them, empower them and are using them against the rest of us.

“Are we saying that the Nigerian state is so helpless to win the war against these enemies of the state? If we as a nation have become so helpless, let us stomach our pride by seeking help elsewhere. This war must stop and the time is now. Personally, I don’t subscribe to the idea of negotiating with criminals and the enemies of the state. The government knows what to do and should stop playing games.

“Negotiation is not the answer. Rather, demonstration of political will to root out these criminals from the very root is the solution.”

• Kazeem Badmus