By Priscilla Dennis | Minna | Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has vowed never to pay ransom or enter into any form of negotiation with bandits terrorising communities across the state, insisting that residents must be prepared to defend themselves against criminal attacks.
The governor made the declaration during a condolence visit to Rijau and Magama Local Government Areas, where bandits recently unleashed deadly assaults that left scores dead and displaced several families in Kontagora axis.
Bago, who described the spate of attacks as a “state of war,” said paying ransom would only embolden criminals and turn kidnapping into a lucrative business.
> “The state has reached a point where the people must stand up and defend themselves. I will not negotiate with bandits. I will not pay ransom. The moment we start paying, they will open shop on our heads and keep kidnapping people,” he said.
The governor maintained that the Nigerian Constitution empowers citizens to defend their lives and property, stressing that his administration would not tolerate continuous aggression from criminal elements.
> “We are surrounded by enemies, but we will not give up. The Constitution gives us the right to defend our lives and property, and we will do just that. There is no going back,” Bago stated firmly.
He lamented the plight of displaced persons and described the incessant invasions of communities as both “embarrassing and unacceptable.”
As part of renewed security measures, the governor announced plans to recruit and train 10,000 personnel into the state’s Joint Security Task Force to reinforce operations against bandits.
He also declared an immediate ban on all mining activities in Zone C of the state, blaming illegal mining for fuelling insecurity and providing cover for criminal networks.
Bago further pledged that his administration would support victims of recent attacks with financial compensation, free medical care for the injured, and assistance to those who lost their means of livelihood.
> “This government will not abandon its people. We will rebuild, we will recover, and we will resist every force that threatens our peace,” the governor vowed.
Governor Bago’s hardline position comes at a time when rural communities in Niger State continue to face unrelenting bandit attacks that have displaced thousands and crippled farming and trade across several local councils.
With his latest declaration, the governor has drawn a clear battle line—sending a strong message that Niger State is done bowing to bandits.
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