Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has described as unworkable, Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s advice of engaging mercenaries for fighting bandits terrorizing the Northern part of the country.
Mr Mohammed stated this during a Bond FM Radio programme in Lagos on Saturday monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria.
According to him, the governor’s utterances were out of the deep concern and not a suggestion that government can consider.
“Gov. El-Rufai spoke out of a deep concern with the situation of things; he might have spoken out because of the circumstances at which the bandits are emboldened to operate.
“If we employ the mercenaries to fight the bandits, we should have it at the back of our minds that they are only mercenaries and not our own security personnel who will return to wherever after their task is done.
“The mercenaries cannot be compared with our own security forces; the fight against the bandits is a difficult one because of the terrain.
“We cannot just go with full force to bomb them or else the innocents living around them will be killed and we don’t want that to happen,” he said.
The minister, therefore, called on Nigerians to help the government in the fight against bandits and insurgents by exposing the criminals living in their neighborhoods.
Mr Mohammed noted that the investment by the incumbent government in tackling insecurity would be more impactful and more successful if the citizens on their part would not harbor the criminals living in their neighborhoods.
“We are also pleading with Nigerians to join in this fight because they have a lot of role to play in tackling this insecurity.
“This is because these criminals called bandits are living among us; they interact with the people as well. Who are the ones supplying them foods, more so they also have landlords?
“People should expose these criminals and then, the various efforts of the government will be effectively complemented and we will see the results,” he said.
Mr Mohammed said that the government had invested heavily in security to keep the country safe, adding that government would not rest until the lives and property of Nigerians are fully secured.
“We have been trying our best in the fight against the bandits by equipping all our security apparatus, the government has purchased aircraft so that they can fight alongside the soldiers. We have not rested on our oars.
“The welfare of the police are also given adequate attention and very recently, this administration recruited 25,000 constables and deployed them to their home states, this will go a long way in community policing.
“It will be easier for the newly recruited constables to work effectively, there are lots of work in progress in the security infrastructure and personnel,” he said.