Presidential aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has said he will end the era of negotiation with bandits if he becomes Nigeria’s president.
Hayatu-Deen, who spoke during a town hall meeting organised by Team Rebuild in Abuja, said Nigeria can no longer continue to “normalise fear, criminality, and lawlessness.”
He said his administration will designate bandits and kidnappers as terrorist organisations.
“Every bandit and every kidnapper will be prosecuted under the Terrorism Act. The assets of those financing criminality will be identified and frozen. And the era of negotiating endlessly with violent criminal networks must come to an end,” he said.
The presidential aspirant decried the country’s worsening insecurity, describing it as both a national tragedy and a direct consequence of failed leadership.
He stated that millions of Nigerians now live in fear while businesses, farming communities, and local economies continue to suffer repeated attacks from criminal groups, adding that insecurity is deeply personal to him.
“I grew up in Borno State. My own family has experienced the painful realities of insecurity. My sister was kidnapped and held for three years.
“I understand what insecurity does to a family, to a community, and to the confidence of an entire nation,” Hayatu-Deen stated.
According to him, Nigeria’s current security crisis could not be solved through rhetoric or temporary political measures, “but through disciplined leadership, strong enforcement, and economic renewal that creates opportunities for young people vulnerable to criminal recruitment.”
The ADC presidential aspirant stressed that national security and economic recovery must go hand in hand, regretting that widespread unemployment and hopelessness continue to fuel violent extremism, banditry, and organised criminality.
“Jobs also help reduce the supply of recruits available to criminal gangs, terrorists, and violent networks.
“Countries that fail to create opportunities often become trapped in cycles of insecurity and social unrest,” he said.
Hayatu-Deen said he would create a National Jobs Programme with a focus on public works for vulnerable communities, aimed at expanding economic opportunities across Nigeria.
He stated that Nigerians are tired of excuses and political slogans, insisting that the country now requires leadership capable of delivering measurable results.
“Nigerians are asking for solutions. They are asking for leadership that understands the pain that they are going through and has the experience, discipline, and capacity required to fix what is broken,” he said.
Hayatu-Deen reaffirmed that his campaign is focused on presenting Nigerians with “serious leadership and practical solutions,” adding that the ADC must offer the country “a credible alternative capable of defeating insecurity, rebuilding trust, and restoring hope.”
