Banditry: Niger Gov plans to recruit 25,000 youths to “locate them, kill them,” vows not to negotiate

Gov Bago

Niger State Governor Umar Bago has said that he plans to recruit 25,000 youths to fight the bandits and jihadists terrorising local communities.

The governor disclosed this on Wednesday in a video that has now gone viral on social media.

He further said that the 1,000 youths will be recruited in each of the 25 local government areas in the state and will be trained by the military.

It was gathered that the video was recorded after Bago met with local authorities in Kontogora, the headquarters of the northern senatorial district in the state. Otherwise known as Zone C, the Niger North Senatorial District is under incessant attacks by terror groups.

Almost all the eight local government areas in the senatorial district are under terrorists’ control, with Borgu, Magama and Kontogora being the most dangerous areas.

It was also reported that last week, Muslims in the area gathered at an Eid prayer ground to pray for divine intervention as insecurity persists.

The governor said the youth will not “wait” to be attacked. “They will locate them and kill them (the terrorists).”

Bandits have gained ground in many communities in Niger State, including some Northern states, which has made many of the residents abandon their homes and flee. The security situation has become a source of worry for the governors of these states. While some say they are willing to negotiate with the bandits and terrorists, others, like Governor Bago, have rejected the idea of negotiating.