Niger insecurity: Bago vows no negotiation with bandits

• Says government will win the war

• Asks the people to defend themselves

• Bans all mining activities in the state

From John Adams, Minna

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has vowed never to negotiate with bandits or pay ransom for kidnapped victims in the state even as the gunmen intensify their attacks on communities across the state.

The governor said any attempt to negotiate with the bandits or pay ransom for kidnapped victims would only empower the criminals and worsen insecurity in the state.

A statement by the special adviser to the governor on print media, Aisha Wakaso, quoted the governor as saying this during a condolence visit to the people of Rijau and Magama Local Government Areas, whose communities were recently attacked by bandits.

He said the state had reached a point where the people must stand up and defend themselves, warning that ransom payments would only turn kidnapping into a thriving business.

According to the governor, “I will not negotiate with bandits. I will not pay ransom. The moment we start paying, they will open shop on our heads and keep kidnapping people,” he said.

The governor described the current escalation of bandits’ attacks on communities across the state as a declaration of war against the people that requires collective resistance, adding that it is time for the people to resist the situation.

He added that it is a constitutional duty for the lives and property of the people to be protected by the government, adding that he will go all out and by all means to do that as the constitution does not state how far the government should go in protecting the lives and property of people.

“We are surrounded by enemies, but we will not give up. The constitution gives us the right to defend our lives and property, and we will do just that. There is no going back.”

Bago described the current security situation in parts of the state as embarrassing and unacceptable where communities would be invaded and their residents turned into internally displaced persons.

In a first step towards self-defence, the governor announced plans to recruit and train 10,000 members into the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the state to help restore security, stressing that the recruitment is beginning immediately.

Bago also declared a total ban on mining across the entire Zone C of the state, which covers eight local government areas including Magama, Kontagora, Rijau, Wushishi, Mariga, Borgar, Mashegu, and Agwara.

He said illegal mining has become one of the major drivers of insecurity in the area, with miners often accessing forest zones unharmed while residents suffer repeated attacks.

“It is suspicious that miners can enter the forests freely, yet the bandits do not touch them,” he said, ordering the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to arrest anyone caught engaging in mining activities.

The governor assured victims of recent attacks that his administration would support them. He promised compensation for families of those killed, medical treatment for the injured, and assistance for those who lost their sources of livelihood.