Niger State governor, Abubakar Bello, has vowed to deal ruthlessly with traditional rulers and other local collaborators conniving with bandits to wreak havoc on innocent citizens in the State.
The governor stated this when he briefed State House correspondents after having a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in the Aso Rock Villa, in Abuja.
According to him, the bandits are being invited by some locals to rob and kidnap innocent citizens in the State.
He revealed that already some village heads had been apprehended by security agencies for aiding and abetting criminal activities including kidnapping and banditry in the State.
The governor, who vowed never to negotiate with bandits, said they had never been honest in their talks with constituted authorities.
Bello, who said he updated President Buhari about the influx of bandits into Niger from neighbouring states, commended security officials for their efforts in checking the activities of criminals in the State.
President Buhari had earlier met behind closed doors with Gov. Yahaya Bello, of Kogi, as well as Gov. Mai Mala Buni, of Yobe States at the State House.
