Bandit: Some Of Them Tell Me If You Bring Me Out Of Prison I'm Still Going Back To Join Them-Enenche

Maj. Gen. John Enenche (Rtd), former Defence spokesperson, has called for a firmer approach in addressing the activities of bandits and other criminal elements, saying his personal encounters with some repentant fighters convinced him that many remained committed to returning to crime despite rehabilitation efforts.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Enenche said his experience during engagements with repentant fighters exposed the challenges associated with relying solely on rehabilitation programmes, noting that some individuals openly admitted their intention to return to criminal activities regardless of efforts made to reform them.

“They have killed people all over the place and say they are repenting later. I was part of it. I even went to their camp in Gombe to interview them, and some would tell me that even if you take me to prison and bring me out, I am still going back and join them. What do you do? That means we take the bull by the horns.”

He explained that while peace initiatives and reintegration programmes may be useful in certain situations, authorities must also recognise the need for stronger measures against those who remain determined to continue violent acts and threaten the safety of communities.

According to him, the persistence of insecurity in several parts of the country highlights the importance of adopting strategies that combine dialogue, intelligence gathering, and decisive action to protect lives and property while ensuring that criminal networks are effectively dismantled.