Shehu Sani, a former senator representing Kaduna Central, has provided an explanation as to why President Bola Tinubu’s government and the governors cannot engage in dialogue with bandits in the country. He shared his views through a statement on his verified Twitter handle on Sunday.
In his statement, Sani pointed out that bandits should not be equated with groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP, who carry out killings under the pretext of religion. Instead, he described bandits as armed movements driven by religious, ethnic, or political motives.
Furthermore, the sociopolitical commentator highlighted that bandits lack a single unified leadership structure and function in clusters, operating as criminal gangs.
He said, “Dialogue with bandits will not work because of these three reasons; they are not an armed movement founded for the pursuit of any religious, ethnic or political causes, other than extortion by atrocious blackmail, abductions and cold-blooded murder of innocent citizens.
“Two, they are not united under a single leadership but operate in clusters and criminal gangs; three, their motivation is money; they kill and abduct for money.
“Bandits are unlike Iswap and Boko elements whose acts of abduction, terrorist attacks and slaughter of innocent citizens is done under the guise of religion.
“Dialogue with Bandits is a waste of time. Those governors who tried it later regretted it.”
