A civil society organisation, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, has urged the Zamfara government to implement comprehensive rehabilitation and socio-economic empowerment programmes before reintegrating repentant bandits in the state.

The executive director of CISLAC, Auwal Rafsanjani, stated this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mr Rafsanjani said this would help prevent re-radicalisation and mitigate potential threats to communities in Zamfara.

He, however, commended Governor Dauda Lawal for adopting a different approach to end banditry in the state.

Mr Rafsanjani said that the governor took the right step by launching Operation Safe Corridor, an initiative to tackle insecurity through a non-kinetic approach.

“The shift from a kinetic to a non-kinetic approach in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges aligns with the administration’s commitment to decisively tackling banditry.

“The initiative offers a safe passage for non-radicalised individuals who were drawn into banditry due to illiteracy, poverty, and other socio-economic factors,” he said.

The executive director said that the state government should intensify efforts to disrupt the cycle of banditry at various stages, including ideation, recruitment, indoctrination, and violence.

He also called for public-private partnership arrangements to enhance community awareness and counter-extremism education.

Mr Rafsanjani stressed the importance of providing psychosocial support, compensation, and reconstruction for victims of banditry to alleviate their trauma and mitigate socio-economic losses.

He urged the federal government to collaborate with the state government to ensure the successful implementation of Operation Safe Corridor. 

(NAN)