As Nigeria continues to battle insecurity, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and popular cleric, Ahmad Gumi, held a close-door meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Sunday.
Ahmad has been meeting with bandits, offering suggestions on how to stop banditry, including a blanket amnesty for them.
Obasanjo too has been outspoken on the insecurity plaguing the country.
At the end of the meeting, they issued a communique, calling for the empowerment of communities to protect themselves.
“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.”
