On Sunday, Osita Okechukwu, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stated that military operations cannot bring an end to banditry in Nigeria on their own.
The statement was made by Okechukwu while praising Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, for admitting that military efforts cannot eradicate banditry on their own.
This comment was given by Ribadu at a meeting of the Sokoto Advancement Forum and the Center for Peace Studies at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, where they were discussing how to deal with banditry.
Former VON Director General Okechukwu characterised Ribadu’s stance in local vernacular as “Gbaam,” an emphatic expression of agreement, in a statement he signed.
He emphasised that military operations must be accompanied by efforts to develop trust in the community, safeguard agriculture and rural livelihoods, and avoid the recruitment of youth into criminal networks.
A more comprehensive definition of success would include: “safer communities, returning families, productive farms, reopened schools, functioning markets and the restoration of public confidence.” He went on to say that there must be other metrics beyond arrests, weapons seized or territory cleared to gauge progress.