Army chief says amnesty for terrorists has failed

Army chief rules out amnesty for terrorists, says it’s failed

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, says amnesty programme for bandits and terrorists in Zamfara and other North-West states has not addressed the insecurity issue in the region.
Lagbaja also acknowledged the complexities of the crises in Kaduna and Plateau but affirmed the military’s determination to stem insecurity, especially with the cooperation of the stakeholders in the states.

He spoke in separate meetings with the governors of Zamfara, Kaduna and Plateau in Abuja.

The COAS, while hosting Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, said apart from failing to achieve its purpose, the amnesty programme also allowed criminals to regroup, reorganise and attack defenceless citizens.

He said, “We also have the issue of the amnesty programme that has been instituted, and which has failed not only in Zamfara but in so many other states of the Northwest.

“So, I think we need to look at this issue of the amnesty programme because the criminal elements have proved to be incorrigible.

“The issue of amnesty has created an avenue for them to regroup and reorganise to launch attacks on our defenceless citizens. So I think we need to look at that.”

The COAS said he had directed the deployment of more platforms and the release of funds to reactivate unserviceable platforms to boost troops’ operations in the state.

The COAS also addressed the crisis in Plateau, saying the military had put measures in place to end it, including going after all outlaws bearing illicit arms.

Lagbaja blamed much of the security challenge in Plateau on the farmers-herders crisis, noting that it had been limited to three local governments of Riyom, Jos South and Barkin Ladi.

He said, “We have taken some measures and we believe those measures will yield the desired results quickly.”

Lagbaja urged the governor to convene an expanded stakeholder meeting to let them ‘jaw-jaw’ rather than ‘war-war’.

The COAS said that there was also the need to properly organise the state-controlled security outfit to avoid working at cross purposes, in the overall interest of the state.

In the meeting with Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani at the Army Headquarters, Abuja, the COAS said the military was doing a lot to entrench peace and stability in Southern Kaduna and other conflict areas across the country.

Lagbaja said, “The security threats in Southern Kaduna are complex considering there is a mix of the farmers-headers crisis and ethnic animosity and other variables.

“And it is when there is a perfect balance of the people, the government and the military that we can bring peace and stability to our community.”