A foundation member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Osita Okechukwu on Sunday said military operations alone cannot end banditry in Nigeria.
Okechukwu made the remark while commending the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu for acknowledging that military operations alone cannot end banditry.
Ribadu made the remark during a brainstorming session on coping with banditry which was organised by the Sokoto Advancement Forum in collaboration with the Centre for Peace Studies, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
In a statement he signed, Okechukwu, a former Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, VON, described Ribadu's position in local parlance as “Gbaam,” which is an emphatic expression of agreement.
He stressed that building community trust, protecting agriculture and rural livelihoods, and preventing youth recruitment into criminal networks are indispensable complements to military operations.
He said: “We must measure progress by more than arrests, weapons recovered or territory cleared.
"Success must also mean safer communities, returning families, productive farms, reopened schools, functioning markets and the restoration of public confidence.”
Military operations alone can't end banditry — Osita Okechukwu