Banditry: Focus On Prevention, Not Prosecution, Okowa Replies Lai Mohammed

The chairman South-South Governors Forum, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, has asked the Federal Government to pay more attention to prevention of banditry, kidnapping and other crimes, rather than prosecution of culprits.

Okowa said this while tackling the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, on his claim that the prosecution of apprehended bandits and kidnappers was the exclusive preserve of “the states, including those being controlled by it”.

Mohammed had said, “as far as terrorism, a federal offence, is concerned, this Federal Government has successfully prosecuted thousands of Boko Haram members in Kainji, as part of a continuing exercise.”

But Governor Okowa said the Federal Government cannot abdicate the responsibility of prosecuting bandits and kidnappers to state governments, noting that “What is most important, even beyond the prosecution, is to prevent…because prosecution is when it has happened.”

The governor spoke in a statement by the Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu.

He said, “We understand that terrorism is not a small crime; it’s a crime against the nation not even the particular state where it happens. So we want to believe that may be the man is being misquoted.

“The Federal Government cannot say they are not in a position to do so. What is most important, even beyond the prosecution, is to prevent because prosecution is when it has happened. What we are saying is that as a government, what do we do to ensure that there is no terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and all that in our country?

“For us, that is much more important than the issue of who prosecutes who. If we are able to bring back our country to the path of peace like it used to in the 80s and 90s; it will be better for all of us, both those at the federal and the state levels.

“So, we all must be put hands together to ensure that terrorism, banditry and kidnapping are wiped out of our country.

“For those of us who are at the state level, we have a responsibility when there is information to give to Intelligence if it is available to us but we do know that the security of the nation at that level is highly much more with the central government.”