The Senator opposed the call for amnesty for repentant bandits, insisting that criminals and bandits should be brought to justice.
The Senator representing Borno South District, Ali Ndume has lamented the rising insecurity in the country, stating that Nigerians don’t seem to understand the seriousness of the situation.
Ndume also said the clamour for a northern Presidency in 2023 would amount to the North seeking a third term in office, describing such a move as unconstitutional.
Speaking at a media briefing on Saturday, the Senator opposed the call for amnesty for repentant bandits, insisting that criminals and bandits should be brought to justice.
“The fundamental thing that keeps the country going is security and welfare of the citizens. That’s why our constitution clearly states that the purpose of government is the security and welfare of the citizens. You know these two key things are now under threat in Nigeria.
“At the beginning, it started like a joke, starting from small stealing and all that. That culminated in armed robbery. In the early 70s in this country, you hardly hear of armed robbery. I remember when we were in secondary school. One of the first armed robbers that were executed at the beach in Lagos was Oyenusi; they called him ‘rob and kill’. Over 30,000 people gathered at the beach to watch his execution with his colleagues. The next one that was famous was that of Anini. But other than that, before today, armed robbery was a small crime in Nigeria.
“You see people involved in banditry, kidnapping, and of course, the insurgency that has bedevilled the North-East for the past 11 years now, to the extent that in Maiduguri now, once it’s 5 o’clock, you cannot go in or come out of Maiduguri. From all angles. By 10 o’clock, Maiduguri is shut down. You can’t go anywhere. In fact, this is even an improved situation.
“We hear of kidnapping, banditry, and all sorts of crime these days. The nation is on the brink of collapse. The unfortunate thing is that Nigerians, from top to bottom, still trivialise, tribalise, or give the situation religious colouration, and we’re now in this sorry state.”