Gov Bello grants amnesty to 13 armed bandits in Niger

Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello, has granted amnesty to 13 suspected armed bandits that were arrested by security operatives along Kontonkoro axis in Magama Local Government Area of the state.

Gov. Bello disclosed this while delivering a keynote address at the 2nd General Abdulsalami Abubakar Foundation Annual Peace Lecture on Saturday in Minna.

He said the bandits were released in commemoration of this year’s International Day of Peace with the theme: “Climate Change for Peace”.

The governor added that they were released based on the dialogue and peace deal reached by the government and the bandits from the area in August.

According to him, the peace accord reached had led to a gradual reduction in activities of armed bandits and kidnappings in the area.

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“After hearing them on why they decided to engage themselves in such activities, we had to go into a peace agreement with them in the interest of peace and for them to help us with useful information to tackle spate of insecurity in the state,” he said.

The governor noted that they have been cooperating and helping security agencies with useful information on how to identify unrepentant bandits who were still terrorising the state.

He said the repentant suspects have been engaged into various trade and skill acquisition programmes, adding that the same approach would be applied with bandits in Pandogari, Allawa and Erena areas of the state.

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