Insecurity: Don’t negotiate with kidnappers, terrorists –Bello warns

TRACKING___Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has charged government at all levels in Nigeria, to shun all forms of negotiations with kidnappers, terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements for whatsoever reason. Bello who spoke at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Retreat of the Senate Press Corps held in Lokoja, the State capital, warned that striking any deal with criminals who are in breach of the laws of the land, does not only embolden the criminals but subtracts from the authority of government to enforce laws and safeguard lives and property.

The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, disclosed that before 2016 Kogi State was notorious for kidnapping and general insecurity but the current administration in the state had been able to change the narrative in the last six years. According to Bello, Kogi State recorded an average of twenty five (25) incidents of kidnapping per month because he launched a comprehensive security programme to rid the state of criminal elements.

“At that time, criminality of all kinds was at its peak. Kidnappers were like kings in the state, building mansions and owning big businesses. But by the time we launched our programme and flushed them out, you can see that Kogi has become one of the safest states in the country,” he said.

The Governor disclosed that the feat was achieved through forging a synergy with the security agencies, providing them 250 patrol vans, 500 motor bikes and equipping them with state of the art security gadgets to assist them in their operations. “We invested in the use of digital technology to help the police do their jobs better. We also ensured that those found guilty of kidnapping for ransom were not allowed to retain the proceeds of their crimes. Their mansions were demolished to serve as deterrent to others.

“We also worked closely with the communities and employed over 5,000 local vigilante personnel to secure our communities. In addition, we launched a whistle blower policy to obtain security information from members of the public.

“Above all, we refused to negotiate with kidnappers and other criminal elements terrorising our communities because we know that whenever you negotiate and pay ransom, you encourage more criminality,” he said.