by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna.
Kaduna State Chapter of Middle-Belt Forum (MBF) has expressed “deep concern and consternation” over the pardon granted terrorists by Governor of Kaduna State amidst worsening poverty situation of the bandits’ victims across board.
This was disclosed in a statement issued Sunday and signed the Forum’s state chairman, Luka Binniyat, entitled: ‘Freedom for Bandits, Pains for Victims Suffer.’
Forum stated that it’s however in complete harmony with both Kaduna State and the Federal Government in the pursuit of peace, security and safety of all residents of the state, believing that Nigeria is a strong sovereign state that no group can dictate to.
Accordingly, the forum admitted that it’s very difficult to achieve development in the state and for the well-being of citizens without these key elements listed above, which it also understands.
The Forum, however, lamented that it received the odd news of “His Excellency, the Governor of Kaduna State, Sen. Uba Sani, granting pardon to terrorists, a.k.a Bandits.”
Forum statement reads: “However, it is with deep concern and consternation that we received the odd news of His Excellency, the Governor of Kaduna State, Sen. Uba Sani, granting pardon to terrorists, a.k.a Bandits.
“These are violent criminals that have been accused of serial mass murder, mass kidnapping, rape, arson among other heinous crimes against his citizens in Birnin Gwari axis of the state and beyond for over a decade.
“He granted them pardon in Birnin Gwari Town during a ceremony that looked like a celebration last Thursday. The governor claimed that ‘they have repented and dropped arms,’ following negotiations with multi-sectoral stakeholders.
“He also assured them of rehabilitation and reintegrating them to society – whatever ‘rehabilitation’ that criminals, who are multimillionaires from composite criminality need!
“Some of the criminals are among the most dangerous wanted outlaws in Nigeria. The Nigerian military have placed price tags on their heads due to the grievous crimes they have committed against citizens and the Nigerian State.
“It is on record that past Governments of Zamfara and Katsina States have tried such an exercise and it ended up in escalating the criminality of the bandits, who are absolutely not persons of honour and integrity and, as such, their words cannot be trusted.
“We do not know where Nigerian State Governors are drawing powers to forgive persons accused of Federal crimes, such as banditry, capture and occupying Nigeria territories, mass murder and sundry grim crimes.
“No persons that carried out the scale of massive heartless cruelty for over a decade – killing thousands, raping and displacing hundreds of thousands into conditions of destitution that these terrorists are accused of – deserve to go free, especially for self-serving crimes. Not in the most lawless country!
“Does that mean that both the State and the Federal Government have agreed that the bandits cannot be decimated or captured unless they willingly drop arms?
“To us in the MBF, Kaduna State Chapter, the freedom and peace that these evil people are enjoying today is crude lack of empathy and sympathy to their victims, dead and alive.
“And, to think that Kaduna State will use its tax payers’ money to rehabilitate these outlaws, feels very insulting to the hundreds of thousands of their victims, who are living, with scars of their wickedness, especially those who can never recover their losses in their lifetime and those that cannot even feed today.
“We are at a loss how these gunmen will return to the same communities that they have terrorised and pillaged and hope to live peacefully with those who survived their terror.
“It is grave injustice and a relegation of responsibility to law-abiding citizens, who have suffered the heinous crimes committed by these bandits, especially as they have never received any assistance from the government. Instead, the perpetrators of these crimes are now celebrated and pampered as ‘repentant’ terrorists,’” it stated.
Forum also added that, “In Borno State, we read news of ‘repentant’ Boko Haram terrorists carrying out criminal acts recklessness. Many have returned to their comrades in the bushes; yet, so much was spent in ‘rehabilitating’ them, while their victims wallow under beggarly conduct in IDP camps. Is Borno State free of Boko Haram today?
“We just pray that these ‘repentant’ bandits will not play prominent role in the 2027 general elections as armed thugs for political parties and politicians.
“Meanwhile, in Southern Kaduna, which is part of the Middle-Belt, these bandits have displaced and are occupying several communities in Kauru, Kachia, Kajuru and Chikun LGAs.
“In some areas in the aforementioned LGAs, they are holding scores as hostages; and in other areas, they place levies on farmers before the farmers can farm and harvest their crops.
“From what we gather among our youths on ground, there are thousands that are ready to volunteer as citizen guards in collaboration with the military and other law enforcement agencies to combat these cowardly enemies of the state. That’s how to take justice to them – not to deal with them like partners.
“That’s the kind of cooperation we see working in Katsina and Zamfara States, and is celebrated every day in the news,” the statement noted.