By Chioma Iruke
Nigeria’s Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, has insinuated that bandits wreaking havoc in the North-western part of the country have a patriotic spirit, and believe in the ideology of one Nigeria.
The Minister while speaking on TVC’s This Morning show on Monday, said bandits should not be compared with Boko Haram insurgents and IPOB separatists because they cannot be attached to a religious or an ideological goal.
According to Mohammed, armed bandits are just common criminals who believe in Nigeria’s unity and sovereignty.
“The difference between IPOB, Boko Haram on one side and bandits is that, while IPOB and Boko Haram are driven by ideology, a belief that they don’t want to be part Nigeria, bandits have no flags.
“Bandits are simple criminals. There’s no difference between bandits and other criminals other than their ferocity. Bandits have never said they don’t believe in Nigeria, they are just pure criminals,” he said.
The Minister’s comments came amidst growing calls for President Muhammadu Buhari to activate measures aimed at treating the vicious gangs of kidnappers and terrorist groups. His position however shows that the government is yet to be convinced that the bandits warrant terrorism label.
Bandits, a loose network of criminals whose operations revolves largely around abduction-for-ransom in Nigeria’s North-west, have constituted a major national security threat in recent years.
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