Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has dismissed the idea of negotiating with bandits, warning that such an approach would only strengthen criminal groups and worsen Nigeria’s security challenges.
Ganduje stated this at a press conference on Tuesday while reacting to comments by the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, who said he and the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would engage terrorists in dialogue if elected in the 2027 general election.
According to Ganduje, negotiating with armed groups would amount to rewarding criminality, arguing that the practice often involves providing financial incentives and logistics that enable bandits to continue their operations.
He questioned the practicality of holding talks with heavily armed criminals, noting that possession of firearms without legal authorisation is a criminal offence in Nigeria.
The former Kano State governor maintained that the country’s security agencies—including the military, police, Department of State Services (DSS) and other intelligence bodies—already have defined strategies for tackling insecurity, insisting that negotiations with bandits have not yielded lasting results.
Ganduje further argued that ransom payments and other concessions made during negotiations only increase the financial capacity of criminal groups, allowing them to acquire more weapons and intensify attacks.
He maintained that empowering bandits through dialogue and incentives was not a sustainable strategy for restoring peace and security across the country.
