Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has revealed that local bandits terrorizing the Sankera axis of the state have rejected rehabilitation measures put in place for them.
The governor made this disclosure on Sunday in Makurdi while reviewing the activities of bandits in the Ukum, Katsina-Ala, and Logo LGAs that constitute the Sankera axis.
Arewa PUNCH reports that the Sankera axis has long been a hotspot of criminal activity. The killing of the notorious kingpin, Terwase Akwaza, also known as Gana, by the military in 2020, has exacerbated the security situation in the area, as his trained followers have split into smaller groups.
State Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, Matthew Abo, exclusively told our correspondent that the bandits have refused all entreaties to hold peace meetings with the government. The bandits accuse the state government of betrayal for not fulfilling its promise to grant them amnesty.
Governor Alia emphasized that his administration has extended an olive branch to the bandits, but they have rejected it.
“During my campaign, I told every faceless group creating instability in the state to lay down their arms, promising that a new government would liberate them and get them out of the bush. I urged them to stop killing their own people, and that is what I have been trying to do,” Alia said.
He continued, “I offered educational sponsorship for those wishing to go to school, and vocational training for those inclined towards trade, aiming to help them lead proper and decent lives. All these efforts were meant to encourage them to leave the bushes and stop destabilizing the LGAs and killing their people.”
However, the governor regretted that some bandits who accepted the offer and planned to leave the bushes were killed by rival groups vying for superiority.
“Unfortunately, those who were inclined to come out were being attacked and fighting for superiority right there in the bushes,” the governor said.
Governor Alia also accused certain politicians of sponsoring the bandits, thereby complicating the instability in the axis.
“Over the years, there have been skirmishes and instability in the Ukum area. The so-called Abuja politicians are the ones sponsoring and supporting these bandits, who are homegrown and killing their own people, preventing them from going to the farm,” he said.
Despite the challenging situation, the governor assured that his administration would persist in efforts to negotiate peace with the bandits.
“We cannot stop talking to them. I have extended numerous olive branches to them,” Governor Alia said.
This article is sourced from The Punch newspaper, with minor edits and adaptations by The Spectacles for clarity and readability.
