Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger says bandits and kidnappers terrorising the country are not true Fulani.

“Most of these bandits are from outside the country. They are hired to cause problems for us. It is not the habit of the true Fulani to indulge in this kind of act,” said Mr Bello.

Mr Bello called on the relevant authorities to take decisive steps towards apprehending those providing Boko Haram and bandits information.

“These bandits are well organised and coordinated. We cannot fold our arms anymore but to take decisive and necessary steps to apprehend those involved, both the informants and the bandits,” the governor added.

Further lamenting the mayhem unleashed by the bandits, Mr Bello stated, “They started by displacing farmers from their farmlands. Next, they moved to burning farms. Then, (they) moved to kidnapping and forcing us to close our schools. Now, they have started attacking Islamic schools. Only God knows what is next.”

In May, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) comptroller in Jigawa, Isma’il Abba, said the NIS would profile herdsmen entering the country at Jigawa through our common border with the Niger Republic.

“We have directed our officers at the borders and entry points to properly profile and document herdsmen. Every migrant will be stopped, and their luggage thoroughly searched, stating their mission and destination,” Mr Abba said.

Last March, Mr Bello said criminals posing as repentant bandits tricked the state into believing they had repented only to get more money to buy weapons for their heinous attacks.

The governor explained, ”From experience, it has been discovered that the repentant bandits, after collecting cash from the dialogue option, they will purchase more weapons and return to their old ways of banditry.”