The Chairman Nigerian Governor’s Forum (NGF) Kayode Fayemi has dismissed the notion that the Kaunda state governor Nasir El-Rufai is not opposed to negotiation with bandits.
Fayemi who also doubles as the Ekiti governor stated that his Kaduna state counterpart is instead opposed to a particular form of negotiation that emboldens the criminals to keep perpetuating heinous crime .
Fayemi spoke with newsmen at the 2021 Pre-Synod Nehemiah Summit organised by The Diocese of Lagos Anglican Communion over the weekend at All Souls’ Church, Lekki, Lagos.
He said: “Any loss of life is a loss to all of us, is not just to the family members but they feel the pain more. I don’t think my colleague is adversed to negotiation with bandits.
“Governor El-Rufai is only opposed to a particular form of negotiation that embolden the criminals to continue to perpetrate heinous crimes.
“It is on record in the past where he promoted negotiation in retrieving the Chibok girls, so he is not totally adversed or completely adversed to negotiation.
“I am talking about negotiation by referring to inform research that terrorism hardly disappears on the military field, they almost always attenuated on the negotiation table from.”
He added “We have always said that there are unemployment and other factors that is fueling youths violent extremism.
“I refer to drugs, climate change and a whole range of issues. This means that people are not innately criminal, there are sometimes socio-economic underpinnings responsible for their criminal acts.
“I know how agitated the Governor of Kaduna is. He is far more knowledgeable about the local situation and he will do what is best for its citizen.
” I know he is a serious Governor and I know him to be committed to the safety of lives of the people.”
He noted in taming the tide of violent extremism, “we need kinetic, which is military action and non-action kinetic and for those who are beyond redemption and some of these bandits are beyond redemption, we must to go and take them out.”
