Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has called on the Federal Government to declare bandits as terrorists to allow the Nigerian military deal with them according to international law.
This came as no fewer than 343 persons were killed from July to September 2021 in Kaduna State, while 830 others were kidnapped.
The governor spoke yesterday at the presentation of the Kaduna State Security Incidents Report for the Third Quarter of 2021 in Kaduna saying “we in the Kaduna State Government, have always aligned with the declaration of bandits as insurgents and terrorists.
“We have written letters to the Federal Government since 2017, asking for this declaration because it is the declaration that will allow the Nigerian military to attack and kill these bandits without any major consequences in international law.
“So, we support the resolution by the National Assembly and we are going to follow up with a letter of support, for the Federal Government to declare these bandits and insurgents as terrorists, so that they will be fair game for our military.
“This is the view of the Kaduna State Government.”
The governor also called for a consensus between the Federal Government and the 36 states on an emergency programme of recruitment into the security agencies.
He said government could change the game significantly by hiring 1,000 willing youths from each of the 774 Local Government Areas, LGAs, in the country into the security agencies.
“This will be a surge in numbers that is unprecedented since the civil war. An influx of 774,000 new boots on the ground will be a significant blow against criminals and an employment boost,” he said
He said “our Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs has just presented its report on security incidents in Kaduna State within the third quarter of 2021.
“It is a sobering report, reflecting the real agony of our citizens and communities, their pains and losses, and the fears and anxiety that have created considerable distress.
“The report puts the statistics in context, analyses the pattern of violence and outlines what the Kaduna State Government and the security agencies are doing to contain the situation and relieve the situation in our communities.”
“These figures indicate the continuing severity of the security situation. In our view, this compels an obligation to transparency on the part of the managers of security.
“It acknowledges the pain of our people, reflects precise figures on the nature and pattern of security incidents and provides the public factual information on this unprecedented challenge.”
“Previous annual and quarterly security reports have placed the Kaduna Central Senatorial District as the most impacted by these incidents.
“That was the consistent pattern in the Security Incidents Reports for 2020, the first quarter of 2021 and the second quarter of 2021.”
“However, the report for the third quarter of 2021 indicates that the Kaduna South Senatorial District had the highest casualties in the period.
“This reflects the toxic mix of banditry and the continuing violent clashes between communities in Zangon-Kataf, Kaura and Kauru LGAs.
“The locus of these violent incidents is Zangon-Kataf LGA where the peace process, championed so impressively since last year by His Highness the Agwatyap, is being imperiled by sundry acts of lawlessness.
“I call on all the communities in Zangon Kataf LGA to recommit to peace, to work together to promote harmony, uphold the rule of law and unite against the criminals that threaten all of them.
