By Henry  Umoru 

SENATOR Diket Satson Plang, Plateau Central has said that Bandits should be granted amnesty when they repent genuinely  for the harm that they have committed and the country  should be able to accept true repentance because God created room for true repentance.

Answering questions  from Journalists  yesterday after his motion titled, Call on the Federal Government to Address the General Insecurity and Incessant Attack on Plateau State, the Senator said that at times, if there was  true repentance from a criminal, he or she should be given room to repent as that bandit might become a changed person.

Senator Satso Plang who was asked to respond  to remarks by former Governor  of Zamfara  State, Senator  Ahmad Sani that President  Bola  Tinubu  should extend  amnesty to any bandit that was ready to lay down his arms and forsake banditry.

A  former governor of Zamfara State, Sani Ahmad Yerima, visited Tinubu on Monday and urged the President to extend amnesty to any bandit that is ready to lay down his arms and forsake banditry.

Senator Satso Plang said, “My house in the village was attacked twice. In the first instance, when I was a candidate contesting for election as a senator, kidnappers came, kidnapped my  mother, stepmother, our maid and killed my younger brother who came out to challenge the bandits

“They went away with their victims and demanded for ransom. They threatened to kidnap more people if I failed to pay the amount they demanded for. By the grace of God, I was able to secure the release of my mother, stepmother.

“Punishment is for correction. Even God knows that we are not perfect hence he gave us grace to repent. He accepts us when we truly repent. We should be able to accept true repentance because God create room for true repentance.

“Nobody Is perfect, so if there is genuine repentance, we should accomodate it. You don’t beat a child to kill him but to make him know that he has done something wrong 

“At times, if there is true repentance from a criminal, give him a room, he might become a changed person. We should be able to give opportunity to whoever that genuinely repented to become a changed person.

 “However, whoever that is pretending to be truly repenting with ulterior motive should not only be punished but get his punishment, doubled.”

Meanwhile,  the Senate has called on  the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher  Musa to as a matter of urgency, establish joint security posts in strategic locations in Plateau State.

The Senate  has also called on the Service Chiefs to carry out on the spot assessment of insecurity in the troubled parts to give our people a sense of belonging and also serve as impetus for the military operations in those affected local government areas.

The Upper Chamber has also urged  the National Fmergency Management Agency (NEMA) to cushion the hardship of the IDPs by providing them with basic amenities, especially building materials to rebuild their homes.

Resolutions  of the Senate  were sequel  to a motion titled, “Call on the Federal Government to Address the General Insecurlty and Incesaant Attack on Plateau State and sponsored by Senator Diket Satso Plang, Plateau Central.

In his presentation, Senator Plang said that the Senate  “Notes the general insecurity and continued attacks on communities in Plateau State, a state known far ite hospitality, peace and tourism; 

“Also notes that the past decade has seen recurrent crises across the state, especially In rural areas, where insecurity has becoite a major issue that any administration In the state haa to contend with, Therw is no respite; the cycle of killings and kidnappings has continued unabated, despite all efforts by successive administrations at the state and federal levels to tame the ugly trend; 

” Aware that as a result of this, many lives have been lost and properties destroyed, affecting the livellhood of innocent people. The economy of the affected parts of the state, Plateau North and Central, ta lying prostrate, occasioned by incessant attacks coupled with the number of people being killed In the barbarle acts; 

“Further notes that the marauders behind the attacks, who can be classified as terrortats because of the clandestine nature of their operations in recent times, have stepped up thelr nefarloua activities in Plateau communities. The attack, which started in Plateau North, precisely in Bassa, Barakin-Ladi, Jos North, and Riyom local government areas of the state, has spread to Plateau Central, espectally Bokkoa and Mangu local government areas; 

“Observes that in Mangu and Bokkos, within the past month, no fewer than 300 people have been brutally murdered by those terrorists. Plateau North has lost count of casualties because, In recent times, there is no day that one or two communities will not be under attack by those elements; 

“Informed that the attacks on communities in Mangu local government have continued unabated from April 2023 to date as many villages and communities have witnessed this ugly incident where people killed are in large numbers, farms mulled for no reason, and houses set ablaze and destroyed; 

“Also Informed that as a result of those frequent attacks, many people had been forced to flee their homes; either their houses were burned or they fled for fear of further attacks and as a result, there is serious humanitarian crises; 

“Observes that many of the Secondary School students in the affected areas could not participate in the just concluded WAEC examination. Both students in secondary and primary schools in those areas are presently hibernating in IDP camps; and 

“Also observes that this continued and incessant attacks on the Plateau Central and other parts of Plateau State are taking toll on the economy while agriculture fs at an ebb, which might reault to food crisis, lf urgent steps are not taken to curb the ugly trend, 

“Commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the appointment of new Service Chiefs in line With the yearnings of Nigerians and his readiness to tackle the insecurity in different parts of the country.”