Following the increase of banditry and kidnapping in Nigeria, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and a popular religious leader in the North, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi have urged the Federal Government to establish special Courts to deal with such cases.
Obasanjo and Gumi made the call on Sunday in a joint statement signed and issued after a closed-door meeting at the Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta.
The statement read in part, “Federal Government should take the issue up seriously within ECOWAS to work for a regional solution.
“Every community must be encouraged and empowered to stand firm and strong against criminals.
“There should be protection and reward covertly for whistleblowers against criminals living in the community.
“Special courts should be created to deal promptly with cases of banditry, kidnapping, ransom demanding and unlawful carrying of weapons.
“Let the slogan be: Security is the responsibility of all Nigerians.
We agree to continue to work together for solutions for the security of Nigeria and to seek others to join us as we widely circulate our joint statement.”
In the 21-point communique issued after the meeting, they also urged the Federal Government to take the issue of insecurity up with the Economic Community of West African States.