The Nigerian Muslim Media Watch Group (MMWG) has appealed to president Ahmed Bola Tinubu to disregard calls for dialogue with bandits.
The group labeled the requests for the government to engage in discussions with Boko Haram members by Senator Ahmed Sani and Sheikh Ahmed Gumi as ‘absurd’ and unacceptable.
Instead, the MMWG, in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, and made accessible to LEADERSHIP in Ilorin, Kwara State, urged Tinubu to instruct the newly appointed security chiefs to intensify their efforts and present a strategy to defeat the nation’s adversaries.
“It is crucial for the president to set a timeline for the security agencies to bring an end to insecurity in Nigeria after adequately equipping and overseeing their use of allocated resources,” the statement read.
“The fight against insecurity should be taken to the hideouts of the insurgents and bandits in all affected states to curtail their criminal activities,” it added.
The group emphasized the importance of the nation’s security agencies being proactive rather than reactive, as this approach would eventually quell criminal behavior.
It stated that individuals calling for negotiations with criminals and the amnesty for bandits are “acting independently” as Nigerian Muslims across the country, who bear the brunt of their wrongdoing, do not support such proposals. Furthermore, the group argued that any government’s pursuit of this course could fuel youth unrest and promote criminal behavior.
The group highlighted that some Boko Haram members who received amnesty under the previous administration “voluntarily surrendered their weapons and led security forces to the hideouts of other boko-haram members who also surrendered.” It added that “many of them have undergone rehabilitation and training to become law-abiding citizens with acquired skills.”