News Obiaks News

The menace of banditry in Nigeria is fast becoming a cause of serious worry both to citizens and to the federal government, In fact, Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha, on Wednesday, June 12, said that banditry is becoming a bigger problem than Boko Haram insurgency.
        Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha, on Wednesday, June 12, said that banditry was becoming a bigger problem than Boko Haram insurgence in the country. However, Mustapha said that the federal government is doing its utmost to tackle banditry and other violent crimes in the country. The SGF said: “We have had incidents of banditry, which have taken a new dimension altogether. It is no more kidnapping just for the sake of it.“Kidnapping is becoming a commercial enterprise and the banditry in the North-West, if care is not taken, will be another insurgency because they come in and take territories and declare lordship over those territories and they dare even authorities and securities agencies. “There are many aspects of this crisis that are manifesting, but I can tell you that we have tried as much as possible to deal with them. You can see there is relative calm, even in the southern part of the country. “In the South-South, which was a major challenge at the time we came in 2015 but because of the interface, mediation, negotiation and extending a hand of fellowship and assuring people that they are part of Nigeria and they can make claims for which the government is obligated to listen to them, there has been relative peace even with the issues of self-determination as exhibited in South Eastern part of the country. So much is being done in terms of interface with the governors, with the leadership of the South-East trying to dissuade people from towing that part, which will not be of benefit to anybody. So as much as possible, in the area of securing the nation, issues of security as they manifest in different dimensions, we are doing as much as humanly possible to ensure we contain it. Like the President would always give assurances that we would work to avoid the conflicts which are needless, the office of the OSGF has done a lot in that area. ‘’We have tried as much as possible to interface with the traditional rulers being the first respondent in most communities through the National Council of Nigeria Traditional Rulers which is co-chaired by the Ooni of Ife and the Sultan of Sokoto.