PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday
warned local communities in Katsina State not to mete out
capital punishment on any suspected bandits they catch,
rather they should hand them over to the law enforcement
authorities.

The President said that meting out capital punishment on
the bandits could lead to cycle of revenge and counter
revenge.

While condemning the latest round of attacks on farmers by
bandits in Damkal and Tsanwa villages in Batsari local
government area of Katsina state, President Buhari said that
killing people in the name of revenge was not acceptable.

According to the statement issued by the Senior Special
Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam
Garba Shehu, the President gave the warning in his reaction
to the incident in which many homesteads were razed by
fire with many people killed at weekend.

President Buhari in the statement warned that “no one in
the country has a right to take laws into his hands by the
way of self-help or revenge.

“Local communities that catch bandits should hand over
the suspects to law enforcement authorities instead of
meting out capital punishment, leading to a cycle of
revenge and counter revenge.”

He urged community leaders and the local authorities to
continue their efforts in partnership with law enforcement
agencies that bring the surrender of bandits, leading to
peace between farmers and herders.

“The authorities must be allowed to investigate and deal
with any breach that occurs. There is no place for violence
in a decent society,” said the President.
He prayed that God will comfort families that have lost
loved ones in the attacks and repose the souls of the
victims.

daddy told me a time would come when friends and foe may seem alike, and the safest: place to be at that time is behind the barrel of my rifle, armed with the second amendment of the united states