‘I Won’t Negotiate Or Pay Ransom To Bandits,’ Bago Tells Niger Residents To Defend Themselves
By Blessing Kalu
Amid escalating insecurity across the country, the Governor of Niger State, Umaru Bago, has urged residents to defend themselves against repeated bandit attacks, declaring that his administration will neither negotiate with nor pay ransom to criminals under any circumstance.
During a visit to Rijau and Magama Local Government Areas, communities recently attacked by bandits operating from the Kontagora axis, the governor said the state had reached a “critical stage” requiring collective action.
“I will not negotiate with bandits. I will not pay ransom,” Bago said. “The moment we start paying, they will open shop on our heads and continue kidnapping people. The situation has reached a state of war that requires collective resistance. We are surrounded by enemies, but we will not give up. The constitution gives us the right to defend our lives and property, and we will do just that.”
Describing the continued attacks and displacement of residents as “embarrassing and unacceptable,” the governor announced plans to recruit and train 10,000 personnel into the state’s joint task force to boost local security and restore peace.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso, Bago also declared a total ban on all mining activities across Zone C of the state.
Read more: APC chieftain urges service chiefs to be ruthless with bandits, insurgents
The affected local government areas include Magama, Kontagora, Rijau, Wushishi, Mariga, Borgu, Mashegu, and Agwara.
Bago explained that illegal mining had become a major driver of insecurity in the region, noting that many miners had unrestricted access to forest areas considered unsafe for ordinary residents.
“It is suspicious that miners can enter the forests freely, yet the bandits don’t touch them,” he said, adding that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps had been directed to enforce the ban immediately.
The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property while encouraging communities to remain vigilant and united in resisting criminal elements across the state.
