The Northern Elders Progressive Group has called on North-West governors to negotiate with bandits, stressing that dialogue is more effective than condolence visits and military overstretch.
The Northern Elders Progressive Group (NEPG) has urged North-West governors to engage in dialogue with bandits, saying negotiation offers a better path to peace than repeated condolence visits and costly military operations.
In a statement issued in Sokoto, the group’s North-West Coordinator, Mallam Yusuf Abubakar, praised non-kinetic measures promoted by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. “We are happy with the steps being taken so far… Compared to before, there is improvement in security, in patrols, and in the safety of commuters,” he said.
Abubakar maintained that saving lives should take priority. “It is better for a governor to spend his resources on saving lives than spending billions on condolence. One life is far more important than any political gesture,” he added.
He further argued that “even powerful nations have negotiated with groups like the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and the Houthis,” stressing that dialogue should not be politicized. The group commended the Senate Intelligence Committee and NSA for driving peace initiatives.
An abomination if success in curbing the satanic menace of insecurity is envisaged. Negotiating with them will only assure them of their tribal importance in lording over all other ethnic tribal Nigerian nationalities