We’ve stopped negotiating with terrorists – Governors

Governors from the North-West region say they have stopped negotiating with terrorists and bandits, they further pledged to work together and adopt a common approach in tackling security challenges bedevilling the region in the country.

Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State, who disclosed this during the inauguration of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guard (ZSCPG), Wednesday, in Gusau, Wednesday, said that banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling and other criminal activities had engulfed the region in the past 10 years.

According to Governor Radda, effective synergy and the adoption of common approach by the states will go a long way towards addressing insecurity and foster relative peace in the region.

“We have agreed to commit ourselves in fighting banditry and other crimes, and say no to negotiations with any criminal, but those who surrendered and embrace peace would be integrated into the community,” Radda said.

The Zamfara governor, Dauda Lawal who assured that the governors would work collectively to address insecurity and socio-economic problems in the region, disclosed that his administration had trained 2,646 members of the community guard corps to fight crimes in Zamfara in collaboration with the neighboring states.

The event was attended by the governors of Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna states.