FG not treating bandits with kid gloves- Lai Mohammed

JONAS EZIEKE, Abuja

The Federal Government said it was erroneous and misleading the accusation in certain quarters that it was treating bandits with kid gloves.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed stated this on Tuesday when he featured on Nigeria Television Authority programme, “Good Morning Nigeria’’.

Speaking on renewed onslaught against bandit on the programme monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, the minister said banditry was criminality with no basis on religion or ideology.

He said the approach of the federal government through the military in treating criminals was not to make a distinction between bandits and terrorists.

“I think we have been dancing around nomenclature; a criminal is a criminal whether it is a bandit or terrorist and the same measure is being meted out to them.

“That is why we find it ridiculous, the accusation that the federal government is softer on bandits than the separatists and other criminals.

“This is a fallacy, a fake news and misinformation all into one, and this is the kind of divisive rhetoric being promoted by some naysayers,’’ he said.

Mohammed said it was senseless for the military to treat bandits, who were killing soldiers and policemen, with kid gloves.

He added that the method of the military in fighting criminality through the land and air would not allow for any distinction between bandits and other criminals.

Mohammed said with the renewed onslaught against bandits and certain measures taken by the governors of the states where bandits were operating, they were winning the war.

He said the governors had learnt from the mistakes of the past and had resolved that they would not negotiate with bandits but to go after them and not spare them.

Mohammed said measures, such as suspension of mobile telecommunication networks in certain areas and the ban on sale of petroleum products in jerry cans and at filling stations around the land borders were yielding fruits.

He added that the ban on sale of fairly used motorcycles in some markets and restriction on the use of “junction motor parks’’ in the states were also yielding results.

Meanwhile ,the House of Representatives on Tuesday asked President Muhammdu Buhari to demonstrate sufficient political will by making public the identity of the member of the apex legislature- National Assembly that he alleged is sponsoring terrorism.

This followed the adoption of a motion of Privilege by Hon. Ben Igbakpa (Delta,PDP), who expressed grave concerns over the weighty allegation against a serving member of the 9th Assembly by Mr. President.

Rising under 6 Rule 2 of the House Standing Order, Hon. Igbakpa observed that Section 17(a) of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2017, confers the constitutional responsibilities of lawmaking as enshrined in Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) on the House.

The lawmaker who called for the House intervention, specifically expressed displeasure over the gravity of the allegation leveled against the Legislative arm of government by the head of the Executive Arm of government.

While noting that under the principle of separation of powers, no arm of government is superior to the other, Hon. Igbakpa underscored the need for the House leadership to meet with its Senate counterpart with a view to interface with Mr. President to name the serving member of the National Assembly that is sponsoring terrorism as he claimed in paragraph 33 of his nationwide broadcast to Nigerian and the world on the occasion of the 61st Independence of Nigeria on the 1st October, 2021.

He ask the House to also urge President Buhari to immediately “commence the prosecution of the individual and if convicted should have been completely shame.”

While narrating his ordeal at the Ghana airport, Hon. Igbakpa said: “As reported by media house across the world, President Buhari in his Independence Day speech, told the world that one of us is sponsoring terrorism. IPOB by what it’s to the face of the law today is a terrorist organization even when we have our reservations, because the laws of the land and courts have spoken.

“Mr. Speaker, that means that 469 members of this National Assembly are crime suspects. On that fateful day I went to Akure, to be part of the burial ceremony of our fellow colleague, Hon. Expensive.

“On Saturday I had to honor an invitation to Ghana for a wedding, Mr. Speaker, it will amaze you what I faced in the hands of Ghanaian officials.

“They detained me for about four hours, that they are trying to confirm something, I stayed at the airport for four hours, missed the wedding I went for and at the end of the day one of them walked up to me saying sorry sir there’s an announcement in Nigeria that a member of Parliament is sponsoring terrorism and we are put on red alert to ensure that no member of Parliament comes here to hide or cause trouble.

“I had to come back home dejected. They have been calling me all over the world, my friends have been telling me, who among you is that person is sponsoring terrorism. The right thing for a father to do is to name and shame any child that’s bringing about division. But Mr. President didn’t shame that person or name them instead he named 469 members.

“Because of the fact that we’ve always cooperated and the fact that Nigeria has a lot to deal with, so I’m appealing, if not the right thing to do is to invoke section 28 of the constitution they can tell us who among us is sponsoring terrorism.

“All of us here are prime suspects. I appeal that the leadership of the House should liaise with their counterparts in the Senate to try and see the President so that he can us who’s sponsoring terrorism amongst us.

“The President should also go ahead and prosecute and convict that person,” Hon. Igbakpa urged.

Worried by the development, some members who signified interest in contributing to the motion, were not allowed to make input as it was brought under ‘Privilege’.

Responding, the Speaker, Hon.Femi Gbajabiamila who presided over the plenary of the House assured that the motion of privilege was “noted and we will get back to you on that.”

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