Niger Insecurity: Bago Rules Out Negotiation, Urges Citizens to Defend ThemselvesNiger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has ruled out any form of negotiation or ransom payment to bandits terrorising communities across the state, declaring that his administration will confront the worsening insecurity head-on.
The governor, who spoke during a condolence visit to Rijau and Magama local government areas following recent deadly attacks, said engaging bandits or paying ransom would only embolden them and turn kidnapping into a lucrative enterprise.
“I will not negotiate with bandits. I will not pay ransom,” Bago vowed. “The moment we start paying, they will open shop on our heads and keep kidnapping people.”
Bago, whose comments were contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso, described the latest wave of attacks as a declaration of war against the people of Niger State and called for collective resistance.
“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.
Signalling a shift toward community-based defence, the governor announced plans to recruit and train 10,000 members into a state-backed Joint Task Force (JTF) to reinforce security operations across vulnerable localities.
The JTF, he said, will operate alongside conventional security agencies to reclaim areas overrun by criminal gangs.
“It is the constitutional duty of government to protect lives and property. The law does not say how far we should go — we will go all out,” Bago declared.
He urged citizens to complement the government’s efforts by remaining vigilant and ready to defend their communities against attacks.
As part of the new security measures, Governor Bago also announced a total ban on all mining activities in Zone C, which includes eight local government areas — Magama, Kontagora, Rijau, Wushishi, Mariga, Borgu, Mashegu, and Agwara.
He said illegal mining had become a major driver of insecurity in the area, with bandits exploiting mining corridors and forest access routes to launch attacks on rural settlements.
“It is suspicious that miners can enter the forests freely, yet the bandits don’t touch them,” the governor observed, directing the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to arrest anyone found engaging in mining operations.
Bago described the persistent bandit incursions and the displacement of entire communities as “embarrassing and unacceptable,” promising immediate relief measures for victims.
He pledged government assistance, including compensation for bereaved families, medical treatment for the injured, and support for those who lost their livelihoods in the recent attacks.
“We cannot continue to live as internally displaced persons in our own state,” he said. “The attacks on our communities are not just criminal; they are assaults on our collective dignity as a people.”
Niger State, one of the hardest hit by banditry in north-central Nigeria, has witnessed a resurgence of coordinated attacks on farming communities in recent months.
Dozens of residents have been killed, hundreds displaced, and farmlands abandoned, worsening food insecurity in the state.
While some neighbouring states have experimented with dialogue and amnesty for bandits, Governor Bago’s administration has taken a hardline position — rejecting negotiations and focusing on armed community defence, intelligence gathering, and tightening control over the state’s forested and mining zones.