PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday warned local communities in Katsina State not to mete out capital punishment on any suspected bandits they catch, rather they should hand them over to the law enforcement authorities.
The President said that meting out capital punishment on the bandits could lead to a cycle of revenge and counter revenge.
While condemning the latest round of attacks on farmers by bandits in Damkal and Tsanwa villages in Batsari local government area of Katsina state, President Buhari said that killing people in the name of revenge was not acceptable.
According to the statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the President gave the warning in his reaction to the incident in which many homesteads were razed by fire with many people killed at weekend.
President Buhari in the statement warned that “no one in the country has a right to take laws into his hands by the way of self-help or revenge.
“Local communities that catch bandits should hand over the suspects to law enforcement authorities instead of meting out capital punishment, leading to a cycle of revenge and counter revenge.”
He urged community leaders and the local authorities to continue their efforts in partnership with law enforcement agencies that bring the surrender of bandits, leading to peace between farmers and herders.
“The authorities must be allowed to investigate and deal with any breach that occurs. There is no place for violence in a decent society,” said the President.
He prayed that God will comfort families that have lost loved ones in the attacks and repose the souls of the victims.
Vanguard