The federal government has stated that it is “erroneous” to say it is treating bandits with leniency.
Recall that a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana had accused the federal government of treating bandits with kid gloves.
Speaking on Tuesday when he featured on ‘Good Morning Nigeria’, a programme of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed said the approach of the federal government is not to make a distinction between bandits and terrorists.
The minister said the same measures are meted out to both bandits and terrorists, adding that banditry is criminal and has no basis in religion or ideology.
“I think we have been dancing around nomenclature. A criminal is a criminal, whether it is a bandit or terrorist, and the same measure is being meted out to them,” he said.
“That is why we find it ridiculous, the accusation that the federal government is softer on bandits than the separatists and other criminals.
“This is a fallacy; fake news and misinformation all into one. And this is the kind of divisive rhetoric being promoted by some naysayers.”
Mohammed said Nigeria is winning the war against banditry with the renewed onslaught of the military, and certain measures taken by some governors.
Mohammed said measures such as suspension of mobile telecommunication networks in certain areas and the ban on the sale of petroleum products in jerry cans are yielding fruits.
He added that the ban on the sale of fairly-used motorcycles in some markets, as well a the restriction on the use of “junction motor parks” in the states are also yielding results.