The governor of Niger State Mohammed Bago has explained that his administration extended an “olive branch” to bandits in the state, aiming to encourage them to lay down their arms and embrace amnesty.

Bago emphasised that the intention behind the olive branch was not to negotiate with the bandits, but rather to initiate open dialogue with them.

He said the discussions are aimed at encouraging the bandits to reintegrate into society by relinquishing their weapons and participating in the state’s amnesty programme.

The governor who stated this during a courtesy visit to the minister of information and national orientation, Mohammed Idris, in Abuja yesterday said the state government is also “battle ready too.”

“We have extended olive branch to bandits to drop their arms for amnesty and we are discussing with them to see how we can solve the problem amicably. However, we are battle ready too. We are discussing with them not negotiation, talking to them to come out, drop their arms and enter the society. It is a clarion call,” he said.

He noted that government is working and some of these things they are doing are not for public consumption.

“Some of the things that the security agencies are doing are not what we will come out and talk before the cameras, what I can tell you is that Mr President is deeply concerned and is working around the clock to ensure that peace returns to Nigeria, and he will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that it happens.

“The sub-national entities are keying into the programmes and projects of the president. Niger State has 8.6 million hectares of land with 6000sq km of arable land, 4 Hydropower dam, we are 10 percent of the total size of Nigeria so we are poised and positioned for agriculture in terms of animal husbandry, crop production, aquaculture and other ways of food security,” he said.