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Should Repentant Bandits Be Wiped Out Or Reintegrated Back Into The Society? - Crime - Nairaland

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Should Repentant Bandits Be Wiped Out Or Reintegrated Back Into The Society? by DMISS: 11:53am On May 31, 2021
https://www.operanewsapp.com/ng/en/share/detail?news_id=ab03c61ba9dbab24ef60c185

Sheikh Gumi after his tour and dialogue with the notorious bandits within Nigeria Northern state has been campaigning for the Nigerian government to negotiate with the notorious bandits for some time now.

He is equally advocating for amnesty for the dare-devil bandits with whom he empathises.

"I've spoken with them (bandits) face-to-face and they're ready to lay down their arms if their conditions are fulfilled, and I find all conditions they gave as justifiable," Gumi was reported to have said.

With the Islamic Scholar on this delicate issue is the highly revered former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo.



In a joint communiqué, the duo, former president Obasanjo and Sheikh Gumi made public what they feel is the solution to banditry in Nigeria.

In the statement, the two leaders declared that the only means through which the menace of banditry, kidnapping and ransom payment could be overcome in Nigeria is for the federal government to "wean those who are ready to be weaned out of the bushes and crime, settle and rehabilitate them, give them skills, empower them and let them have employment".

Recall that Sheikh Gumi had said that it was his role and that of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo that culminated in the release of the remaining 27 students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation Afaka in Kaduna State after spending 7 weeks in the enclaves of the dare-devil bandits.

The bandits demanded then the staggering sum of N500 million as a ransom for the release of the Afaka students kidnapped on 11 March 2021.

Contrarily to the duo, Governor El Rufai of kaduna State considering the perpetual torture and nightmare the notorious bandits have for no just cause, subjected innocent Nigerians to, has recommended that the notorious bandits should be wiped out completely.



According to Governor El Rufai, bandits do not deserve to live. He completely ruled out forgiveness and pardon as a respite for the dare-devil bandits on several occasions.

“Bandits have lost their right to life under the constitution and must be wiped out entirely.

“We must go into these forests; nobody living in that forest is innocent and just kill them all. It is the only way to end this.” He said.

El Rufai equally, charged the Nigerian security forces to collaborate and take the war to the notorious bandits.

“Our security forces must collaborate to take the war to them, recover and restore the un-governed forests these terrorists occupy, and enable our law-abiding citizens to engage in their legitimate pursuits, including farming and livestock production, without fear.” El Rufai said.

However, Governor Masari of Katsina State while not submitting himself wholly to Sheikh Gumi and his bandwagons, call for total war on bandits but with the caveat, a kind of carrot-stick approach, with provisions for repentant bandits who surrenders all their weaponry to be pardoned, rehabilitated and reintegrated back into the society, not minding the countless heinous crimes against humanity the repentant bandits may have committed in time past.



“Government is always ready to receive, forgive and rehabilitate repentant bandits, as long as they surrender all the arms and ammunition in their possession, but it is not up to us to romance them,” Masari was reported to have said.

Recall that Governor Masari’s initial dialogue-parley with the hoodlums turned sour and Katsina State is still reaping the consequence to date.

However, two months back, four bandits’ leaders had already come forth to surrender and tender various lethal weapons they have used to unleash untold terror on the Katsina people and her neighbouring environment to the Katsina State Police Command.

While briefing pressmen on the development sometimes back, Katsina Police Chief, CP Sanusi Buba made known the joint decision of security agencies and the Masari led government to rehabilitate and reabsorb notorious bandits who claim to have repented back into the society.

“The security agencies in conjunction with the state government would as soon as possible, embark on the process of re-orientation and rehabilitation of these gentlemen that surrendered their weapons.

“This is designed to integrate them into society and make them better citizens.” The commissioner of police said.



Most recently, the Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs in Zamfara state, Garba Dauran said the amnesty programme for bandits terrorising the state is yielding result as over 200 weapons were surrendered by the criminals lately.



Contributing to the development, when over 2000 prisoners were set loose by hoodlums in Owerri Imo State, IPOB Chief, Nnamdi Kanu, in his usual characteristics, sarcastically declared that indeed no Nigerian deserves to be allowed to languish in prison since bandits with all their atrocities against humanity could be freed, rehabilitated and reintegrated back into the society by the Nigerian government.



“If Miyetti Allah terror herdsmen & other murderous #Fulani groups, including Boko Haram insurgents, can be arrested, freed and rehabilitated by this neo-colonial Fulanised @NGRPresident, then no single soul deserves to be in any prison in Nigeria. If you know you know! #UGM.” Nnamdi Kanu tweeted.

However, Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello had vowed earlier never to negotiate with bandits again as the previous attempt failed to turn out well, with the bandit not holding to the terms of the bargain. But unlike his other counterpart, he did not state if he would support pardon, rehabilitation and reintegration into the society for bandits who repents and surrenders all their weapons to the Nigerian security forces.



“To be honest, even when the process of negotiation was being advised, I agreed to it. I have attended one meeting where the bandits were there and I cannot imagine myself as a governor and chief security officer of a state sitting down and negotiating with them,” Governor Sani Bello said.

Meanwhile, barely one month ago, the Niger State Governor cried out that the more deadly Boko Haram sect have encroached into his teritory and have hoisted their flags in some villages.



"Their towns have been taken over by bandits and Boko Haram elements... Their wives have been seized from them and forcefully attached to Boko Haram members," the governor said.



"I am confirming that we have Boko Haram elements in Niger State, around Kaure. They have taken over the territory... They have installed their flag," the governor said

"The Boko Haram elements are trying to use this area as their home, just as they did in Sambisa. Sambisa is hundreds of kilometers away from Abuja. But Kaure is less than two hours drive to Abuja. So nobody is safe anymore... Not even Abuja is safe," Governor Bello warned.



The question on the mind of many out there is:

What is the assurance that rehabilitating and reintegrating these dare-devil bandits into the Nigerian society is not another leeway to revisit Nigerians and the Nigerian public space with a new trend of terror?

Below are some of the responses elicited from Nigerians who pledge for anonymity:

“I am so amazed how Sheikh Gumi can be saying that bandits should be granted amnesty. He is an Islamic scholar and there is no such provision under Sharia law that repentant criminals should not face the wrath of the law. Somebody else should be advocating that not an Islamic scholar please.”

“Those heartless bandits cannot be rehabilitated. They are already used to killing and demanding a huge sum of money from their captives. They can only be a nuisance to the society. Annihilation is the way to go.”

“Hmmm…rehabilitating these hardened criminals and reintegrating them back into the society can only mean one thing, which is politicians would from time to time use them against perceived enemies and make the lives of their enemies miserable. That is what their rehabilitation and reintegration back into society could mean; nothing more.”

How about you?

What is your stance on this very delicate issue polarizing the nation?

Should repentant bandits be wiped out or rehabilitated and reintegrated back into the society?

Kindly state your stance in the comment box and share with others too.

https://www.operanewsapp.com/ng/en/share/detail?news_id=ab03c61ba9dbab24ef60c185

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