Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has declared that his administration will neither negotiate with bandits nor pay ransom for kidnapped victims, stressing that such actions would only embolden criminals and escalate insecurity across the state.
Governor Bago made this known during a condolence visit to Rijau and Magama Local Government Areas, where several communities were recently attacked by bandits in the Kontagora axis.
According to a statement signed on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso, the governor said Niger State had reached a critical point where citizens must unite to defend themselves.
“I will not negotiate with bandits. I will not pay ransom. The moment we start paying, they will open shop on our heads and keep kidnapping people,” Bago declared.
He described the current security challenge as a “state of war” that required collective resistance, emphasizing that it was both a moral and constitutional duty to protect lives and property.
“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.
Bago expressed deep concern that rural communities could be so easily invaded and their residents turned into internally displaced persons (IDPs), calling the situation “embarrassing and unacceptable.”
As part of renewed efforts to restore peace, the governor announced the recruitment and training of 10,000 members into the Joint Task Force (JTF) to bolster security operations across the state. Recruitment, he said, would begin immediately.
In addition, Governor Bago declared a total ban on all mining activities across Zone C, which comprises eight local government areas — Magama, Kontagora, Rijau, Wushishi, Mariga, Borgu, Mashegu, and Agwara.
He identified illegal mining as a major driver of insecurity, alleging that some miners move freely through forest zones where residents are routinely attacked.
“It is suspicious that miners can enter the forests freely, yet the bandits don’t touch them,” Bago noted, directing the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to arrest anyone found engaging in mining activities within the affected areas.
The governor also assured victims of recent attacks of government support, promising compensation for families of those killed, medical care for the injured, and assistance for individuals who lost their livelihoods.
Bago’s latest declaration marks a notable departure from his earlier position. In August 2023, the governor had announced plans to engage in dialogue with bandits as part of a dual strategy to curb insecurity — combining non-kinetic approaches such as dialogue through the Ministry for Nomadic and Pastoral Affairs with potential military action if talks failed.
At the time, Bago emphasized the importance of engaging with Fulani herders to address grievances and prevent further displacement, citing Niger State’s vast grazing lands and large pastoral population.
However, with continued attacks and rising insecurity, the governor now appears to have shifted to a more hardline stance — ruling out negotiation and prioritizing decisive action to reclaim peace and stability across the state.