Amid escalating national debates on security strategy, former military leader General Ibrahim Babangida has issued a hardline declaration, urging the federal government to reject any calls for surrender from criminal bandits until they are completely "neutralized and eliminated."
The former Head of State, known as IBB, made the statement on his official social media account. His position directly challenges approaches that advocate negotiation or amnesty programs for armed groups terrorizing communities across northern and central Nigeria.
A Two-Phase Strategy: Force First, Questions Later
Babangida's statement outlines a clear, sequential strategy for dealing with the bandit crisis. He insisted that the sole focus of security forces must be a decisive military campaign to crush the criminal networks. "While the bandits are pleading for surrender, we must not accept their plea until every one of them is neutralized and eliminated," he wrote.
Only after achieving this objective does he propose engaging in dialogue—but not with the bandits themselves. Instead, he called for a controversial next step: "Afterward, I expect the military to invite negotiators and sympathizers like Sheikh Gumi and other subordinates, for comprehensive questioning."
This specific mention of Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, the prominent Islamic cleric who has acted as a mediator and advocated for amnesty for bandits, suggests Babangida views such intermediaries with deep suspicion, potentially implying they bear some responsibility for the crisis.
Mixed Reactions and a Broader Debate
The statement has ignited a fresh wave of commentary on social media, reflecting the deep divisions within Nigeria on how to achieve lasting security.
Many users strongly endorsed IBB's uncompromising stance. One supporter, Dr. Jay, commented: "Exactly sir.. By now, Gumi should have been sympathizing with them in the lower chamber of Military Cantonment.." Another, Ikechukwu, asserted, "It is very important that this idea be implemented to the last letter."
However, other reactions highlighted the nation's complex and often contradictory public sentiment. User Phyno noted the fickleness of popular opinion, suggesting that a charismatic appeal from a figure like Gumi could quickly shift the narrative again: "If Gumi come out today and say something captivating, trust our mumu Nigeria people dem go like am sharp sharp, start they support am."
Babangida's intervention throws a heavyweight voice behind the "kinetic option" in the ongoing security debate. It frames the conflict not as one requiring political or social negotiation, but as a war that must be won unconditionally on the battlefield before any other discussions can begin, placing mediators and their motives squarely in the crosshairs of post-conflict scrutiny.
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