wBy Ankeli Emmanuel, Sokoto
Governors in Nigeria’s North-West region have ruled out any form of negotiation with bandits, pledging instead to take decisive action to end the growing insecurity, Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu has confirmed.
Speaking in Katsina State during the commissioning of the N12.6 billion, 8.1-kilometre Yandaki–Shinkafi–Kofar Sauri Road—a project executed by his Katsina counterpart, Governor Dikko Umaru Radda—Aliyu said the region’s leaders are united in their resolve.
According to a statement from his spokesperson, Abubakar Bawa, Governor Aliyu affirmed: “We will not negotiate with any criminal, nor will we accept any offer from them unless they surrender unconditionally.”
He disclosed that substantial resources are being invested by state governments to tackle banditry, and that security strategies are being fine-tuned in collaboration with federal agencies.
Aliyu called on residents to expose informants within their communities, stressing that no major attack occurs without local complicity. “We must remain vigilant and monitor suspicious individuals,” he said, urging continued prayers for the success of ongoing security operations.
The governor also praised the Katsina State Government for pioneering the establishment of a State Community Guard, a model he said he immediately replicated in Sokoto. “The initiative is impactful and capable of yielding tangible results,” he noted.
He further commended Governor Radda, who chairs the North-West APC Governors’ Forum, for providing quality leadership in the fight against banditry.
