The Plateau State Government announced on Monday that several bandits had turned in their guns, indicating that the non-kinetic strategy being used by security personnel to put an end to the disturbance in parts of the state’s towns was beginning to work.
The government reports that bandits operating in Wase Local Government Area have given seven AK-47 firearms to Operation Rainbow operatives.
Gakji Shipi, the coordinator of the state-owned Operation Rainbow security team and Special Advisor on Security to the Plateau State Governor, made this revelation.
Speaking to journalists in Jos, the state capital, he stated, “This feat was made possible with the cooperation of the Wase Local Government authorities, leaders of local vigilante groups, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), DSS, and police.”
“For quite some time now, we have been taking a look at the security situation bedevilling the state and apart from the kinetic approach, we have decided to adopt non-kinetic means to solve the problem.
“We have also decided to shift attention to other areas, especially Wase Local Government Area, which had had a fair share of armed banditry and the endeavours have started recording success.
“Some of the criminals and bandits have returned their weapons to us and you know we are still negotiating, but for fear of being prosecuted, some of them have surrendered their weapons to us without coming out. But with the confidence measures we are building, more will return their weapons as well as surrender to the authorities.
“We have started negotiations with them and you know these negotiations take time. It also takes time to build trust and for them to show goodwill, they have started to return their weapons.”
“So far, seven AK-47s have been returned and if we take it that one belongs to one bandit, that means seven of them have renounced banditry,” stated the governor’s aide, without disclosing the total number of bandits that had turned themselves in. We are still negotiating, though, as I mentioned.
