Insecurity: ”Defend yourselves” – Gov Bago charges Niger residents as he vows never to negotiate with bandits

Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has declared that his administration will not negotiate with bandits or pay ransom for kidnapped victims, insisting that residents must be empowered to defend their communities.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso, Bago expressed frustration over recent attacks in Rijau and Magama LGAs, describing the recurring invasions and displacements as “embarrassing and unacceptable.”

To strengthen security, the governor announced plans to recruit and train 10,000 personnel into a Joint Task Force (JTF) to support security operations statewide.

Bago also ordered a total ban on mining activities across Zone C, covering Magama, Kontagora, Rijau, Wushishi, Mariga, Borgu, Mashegu and Agwara—amid concerns that illegal mining fuels criminal activities in the region.

“The state has reached a point where the people must stand up and defend themselves because ransom will only turn kidnapping into a thriving business.

I will not negotiate with bandits. I will not pay ransom. The moment we start paying, they will open shop on our heads and continue kidnapping people. The situation has reached a state of war that requires collective resistance.

We are surrounded by enemies, but we will not give up. The constitution gives us the right to defend our lives and property, and we will do just that. There is no going back.” he said

“Illegal mining has become one of the major drivers of insecurity in the area, with miners often accessing forest zones unharmed while residents suffer repeated attacks.

It is suspicious that miners can enter the forests freely, yet the bandits don’t touch them. I have now ordered the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, to arrest anyone caught engaging in mining activities.”the governor said