The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, has said the only way the menace of bandits and other forms of violent criminality in the country can be eliminated is to hunt and kill all of them.
The governor, was a guest on a BBC Hausa Service programme on Monday, said the current resolve of the state government is to “hunt the Fulani bandits down and kill them until the remaining surrender or give up banditry.”
He insisted that taking the offensive to the criminals will show that government has the will and might to deal with them ruthlessly.
“That is the position of Kaduna State government and that of our counterpart in Niger.
“We sat down in Katsina and spoke, governors of the north east, some are of the position that we should declare war on them but some wanted negotiations and offering them amnesty. That”s the problem we have been having.
“Like I said earlier, before now, Katsina’s position was negotiations and amnesty for bandits but now, they have shifted from that position and wanted total declaration of war on bandits.
“Like I have concluded, a Fulani herdsmen who used to make ten thousand in a month and one hundred thousand in a year after selling his cow will not stop banditry after he has made millions just on one job.
“Anyone who tells you a Fulani herdsman who kidnaps and makes millions will go back to the lifestyle of herding where he makes one hundred or two hundred thousand in a year is deceiving him or herself.
“So our position is for the federal government to use all its security agencies, the army, the airforce, police and all security operatives to fight and kill them to the last.
“Perhaps, if they realize that they are overpowered, they are the ones who would come begging for amnesty.
“I receive reports of 10 to 20 arrests of Fulani herdsmen daily and someone is saying they would stop, I swear they would never stop,” el-Rufai said.
On the question of paying compensations and granting amnesty to the bandits, el-Rufai rejected such suggestions vehemently.
“What compensation? Compensation for what reason? They that just kill people, burn down their houses, what type of compensation are they talking about?” el-Rufai fumed.
