Yakasai To APC: Name The Governor Behind Banditry, Let Nigerians Deal With Him

Tanko Yakasai, a northern elder statesman and founding member of the Arewa Consultative Forum, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to name the governor behind armed banditry and killings in the country.

It would be recalled the ruling party last Thursday, accused a governor from one of the six North-West states as being responsible for the intense upsurge of banditry and killings in the region.

Yekini Nabena, the APC acting National Publicity Secretary, had said that “an intelligence report” linked the governor to the heightened cases of banditry, abductions and other violent crimes in the zone. However, the party did not reveal the identity of the governor.

Reacting to the claims by the ruling party, Yakasai said, in an interview with Sahara Reporters, that exposing the sponsor of the criminals would enable Nigerians deal with him, if not lawfully, through “public opinion”.

“They (APC) did not tell us who the governor is. That is the problem. It looked like mere speculation. So, we need to know who that governor is. Everybody is looking for a solution and when somebody has done something wrong, they should expose him so that the society will be against him and he will desist,” he said.

“If they keep it to themselves, they are not helping the country. So, I want them to name the person so that we can deal with him – even in the public opinion.”

Commenting on the land borders’ reopening by the Federal Government, Yakasai noted that despite the insecurity, the country could not remain closed forever.

“This is a country of 200 million people, there is no way that we can have uniformity of views. Some would see the land border reopening as right while others would see it as a wrong decision. But what is important is that we can’t keep them permanently closed. It is not possible.

“So, I believe that the more open we are, the better it is for our progress. Man is a social being. The government needs to find a solution to the insecurity across the country. They need to stem the tide.”