Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna has again said there would not be any negotiations by his government with bandits ransacking the parts of the state and beyond.

Samuel Aruwan, the state’s commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, disclosed this on Sunday in a press statement. 

According to him, Governor El-rufai said that the government has not appointed any intermediary to negotiate with bandits on its behalf contrary to a circulating rumour.

“The Government will not negotiate with or pay ransoms to bandits. Any person who claims to do so in any capacity, if found, will be prosecuted accordingly,” the statement reads.

Mr Samuel urged citizens to report the details of anybody posing as negotiator to the Kaduna State Government.

Meanwhile, Islamic scholar Sheikh Gumi and former president Olusegun Obasanjo met in private in Abeokuta on Sunday.

Kehinde Akinyemi, spokesman to Mr Obasanjo, who confirmed Mr Gumi’s visit to reporters said the cleric came in company of other religious leaders.

A statement released after the meeting stated that the leaders discussed the challenges of insecurity across the country and made some recommendations.

The statement reads in parts:

“Education is one main key to solve the problem in the long run but it must start now. The 14 million children that should be in school and are out of school must be put in school with local authorities, state governments and the federal government working together.

“Wean those who are ready to be weaned out of the bushes and crime, settle and rehabilitate them, give them skills, empower them and let them have employment.

“The hardened criminals must be hard hit with sticks. Unlawful carrying of arms should be very seriously punished. Federal government should take the issue up seriously within ECOWAS to work for a regional solution.

“Every community must be encouraged and empowered to stand firm and strong against criminals. There should be protection and reward covertly for whistleblowers against criminals living in the community.”

“Special courts should be created to deal promptly with cases of banditry, kidnapping, ransom demanding and unlawful carrying of weapons.”

In the past months, Mr Gumi has embarked on self-imposed mediatory mission to bandits operating in northern forests. He served as the negotiation conduit for the release of kidnapped school children in Niger and Zamfara.

His intervention for the release of abducted polytechnic students in Kaduna did not yield any positive result as the state government remained adamant that it would not negotiate with criminals.

Mr Gumi believes government should settle willing bandits and grant them amnesty.

On the other hand, Mr Obasanjo, who has been a vocal critic of the Buhari administration has written letters to the government on how to tackle insecurity in Nigeria.