The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 election, Adewole Adebayo, has alleged that some Nigerian political leaders rely on bandits and criminal elements to secure electoral victories.
Adebayo made the claim while speaking on Politics Hub, a programme aired by Vanguard, where he addressed the persistent challenges of banditry and terrorism across the country.According to him, the continued existence of bandit groups is not due to a lack of government capacity but rather a lack of political will to decisively tackle the menace.
“If I was President now, there would be no bandits. If President Bola Tinubu does not want bandits in Nigeria by Christmas this year, bandits will go away,” he said.The SDP chieftain argued that the government possesses the resources and authority needed to eliminate banditry but has failed to do so because some officials benefit from the crisis.
“So, if the government wants to get rid of bandits, it can do it effortlessly. But government officials have complicated themselves,” Adebayo stated.He further alleged that some political actors maintain ties with bandit leaders for electoral advantages and other personal interests.
“They need bandits’ leaders to help them win elections and they need to make money out of banditry. They need to cover one thing or the other,” he said.Adebayo maintained that a firm directive from the highest level of government would significantly reduce the activities of criminal groups across the country.“But if the President says, ‘I don’t want to see any bandits again,’ you won’t see bandits,” he added.
His remarks come amid growing concerns over insecurity in several parts of Nigeria, where bandit attacks, kidnappings and terrorist activities continue to pose serious challenges to national security.
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