El-Rufai slams Buhari over ‘repentant’ criminals, with bandits killing 1,192 Kaduna residents

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna has slammed criticised President Muhammadu Buhari regime’s initiative of reintegrating so-called repentant bandits and terrorists into society to curb insecurity in the North.

“We continue to emphasise that as a state government, we do not believe that there is any phenomenon like ‘repentant bandits’,” Mr El-Rufai said on Tuesday while receiving the 2021 annual security report.

Mr Buhari’s regime has touted its rehabilitation and reintegration of so-called Boko Haram terrorists.

The report was presented to him by the Commissioner for Internal Security, Samuel Aruwan.

One thousand, one hundred and ninety-two persons were killed by bandits, 3,348 kidnapped, and 891 injured in 2021.

The Kaduna governor noted that “any person that makes a conscious decision to secure arms challenge the authority of the Nigerian state and threatens the lives and property of Nigerians does not deserve to live or be granted any concession by the society.”

Mr El-Rufai added, “There are no immediate or remote causes to justify terrorist conduct. Those that hide behind these are either ethnic jingoists, religious apologists or fail to recognise that no legitimate government can survive by tolerating terrorists or negotiating with those that menace law-abiding citizens.”

The governor also called for establishing a theatre command similar to the North-East’s to fight bandits in the North-West.

“The creation of such a theatre command will enable a holistic approach to counter insurgent operations across the six affected states and the enhanced coordination of the resources of the armed forces, the police, the State Security Service (SSS), our respective state vigilance services, hunters and other local volunteers to fight the insurgents,” he explained.

Mr El-Rufai also mentioned that “we are in no doubt that there must be an urgent national effort” to strengthen the security forces.

“The military and police need modern technology, advanced armaments, equipment, and more boots on the ground,” the governor further stated.

(NAN)