Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has urged Nigerians to understand banditry beyond just kidnapping, emphasizing that it is often linked to control over resources.

Speaking on Sunrise Daily (Channels Television), Mohammed noted that banditry has historical roots, citing a town hall meeting in Katsina where it was highlighted that the first recorded instance of banditry in the state dates back to 1891. He stressed that viewing banditry merely as kidnapping or cattle theft underestimates its complexity and long-standing nature.