Bandits imposing taxes on communities doesn’t mean they’ve taken over government – Lai Mohammed proclaims

The Nigeria Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the fact that bandits are imposing levies on communities does not mean they have taken control of the government.

Lai Mohammed made the assertion  during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday while reacting to an article by The Economist magazine titled, ‘Insurgency, secessionism and banditry threaten Nigeria.’

The minister said the London-based magazine was wrong to claim that terrorists had carved caliphates for themselves in the North-East.

While answering questions from journalists on banditry in the North-West where bandits now impose levies on communities, Mohammed argued that imposing levies does not mean criminals are in charge, adding that it takes place in many parts of the country, including in the South where touts commonly referred to as ‘area boys’, impose levies.

He added, “Do you know how many places in this country where area boys collect taxes? And there is no terrorism or banditry there. I don’t want to mention names.

“In many of our cities, they carve out their own territory. So, it is not indicative of the bandits had taken over.

“No. I know many areas in Nigeria both in the South and the North where these kinds of things happen. So, it is not the same thing.”

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