The Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has given reason why bandits operating in Nigeria cannot be proscribed.
Lai Mohammed in a media appearance on Wednesday, February 10, said bandits in Nigeria cannot be proscribed because they do not go by any name, adding that what really matters is how these bandits are treated and not really proscribing them.
In the minister’s word; “You proscribe known groups with names. You can’t just proscribe an unknown group legally.
“Secondly, it’s not whether they are proscribed or not, it is the way they are treated. Does the government actually treat them with kid gloves? The answer is no.” he said.
Mohammed also noted that there is a difference between the bandits and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group that has been proscribed by the Federal Government.
He said, “When a group is championing a course for the disintegration of Nigeria… A group like IPOB (that) does not even recognize Nigeria as a state, sets up its own army and think it is a sovereign state is different from bandits and criminals. Please, don’t compare apples and oranges.”
When asked if the bandits aren’t also threatening the sovereignty of Nigeria by taking up arms against the citizens, the Minister said “the cases are completely different.”
He said, “Security challenges are one thing. Challenging the sovereignty of Nigeria is a completely different thing. Don’t let us dwell on semantics.”
“Don’t armed robbers threaten the security of lives and property? They do. Is there anywhere in the world that armed robbers have been proscribed?” Lai Mohammed questioned.
