No More Amnesty For Bandits, Terrorists, Says Army Chief, Lagbaja

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has described the amnesty programme for bandits and terrorists in Zamfara and other states as a failed programme.

Lagbaja said this when he hosted Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara during a courtesy call on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said the amnesty programme had failed to achieve its purpose in the past, as it only gave criminals the opportunity to regroup, reorganise and attack defenceless citizens.

The COAS also noted that the amnesty programme in the state and other parts of the Northwest was a failure.

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

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

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

The COAS thanked the governor for feedback on the activities of troops deployed to restore peace in the state.

Lagbaja 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.

According to him, the Zamfara crisis is a mix of farmer-herder clashes, ethnic confrontations and the quest for economic empowerment driven by mining activities.

He assured that the Army was determined to tackle the security challenges in the state.