Don’t negotiate with bandits: Northern leaders warn Bola Tinubu

Northern leaders rejected a call by Malam Yerima Sani, who served as the Governor of Zamfara State from May 1999 to May 2007, asking Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, to negotiate with terrorists and bandits in the country.

Northern leaders said in their separate statements that a negotiation with the country’s terrorists and bandits would fail because they “have no central leadership and have never honored the agreements.”

Earlier, Malam Yerima Sani urged Bola Tinubu to hold talks with bandits and grant them amnesty as it was done for Niger Delta militants by the administration of late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who served as the president of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010. 

Chief Iorbee Ihagh, the President General of Mdzough U Tiv Worldwide and the Chairman of three socio-cultural groups in Benue State, reportedly said, “There is no way President Bola Tinubu’s government will negotiate with bandits and terrorists. They were brought into Nigeria from parts of West Africa to prosecute elections for some people in 2015. They should go and clean up the mess they created for Nigerians.”

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Bishop Pinot Ogbaji, Permanent Commissioner at Government of Benue State, said, “When I heard of the proposal of the former governor of Zamfara state advising President Bola Tinubu to negotiate with terrorists and bandits, I was shocked.”

Dr. Bitrus Pogu, the National President of the Middle-Belt Forum, said, “Unless he is one of them and he is trying to protect them, otherwise who negotiates with terrorists. Negotiation with terrorists means to endorse criminality.” He was referring to Malam Yerima Sani.

Ishaq Usman Kasai, Chairman of the Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressives Union (BEPU), also asked Tinubu to not hold talks with bandits. He said, “Engaging in negotiations with armed bandits will never show positive outcomes.”