The Nigerian Army, Wednesday, ruled out amnesty for bandits terrorising the North West region of the country.
Urging the governors in the region to give troops free rein to wipe out all criminal elements, the army added that the issue of amnesty had created an avenue for bandits to regroup and re-organize.
Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff, who stated this at Army Headquarters in Abuja while hosting Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, warned the criminals to leave the country immediately.
He submitted that they would be closely monitored and barred from entering other parts of the country if they attempted to flee.
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The Major General said: “Your Excellency, I think we need to look at this amnesty programme. The criminal elements have proven to be incorrigible. So, the issue of amnesty has created avenue for them to be regroup and re-organise and launch attacks.”
Recall that the State’s former Governor, Sani Yerima, called for bandits to be granted amnesty.
He had requested that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu negotiate with terror gangs operating in Zamfara State and other parts of the country’s Northwest.
Yerima said the negotiation he was advocating was similar to what former President Umar Yar’Adua’s administration did with militants in the Niger Delta, which gave birth to the amnesty programme.
