The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said bandits imposing levies on communities in Northern Nigeria are like thugs known as ‘area boys’ in the South.
He said that does not mean the bandits have taken over the communities.
Mohammed made the comment during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday while reacting to an article by The Economist magazine titled, ‘Insurgency, secessionism and banditry threaten Nigeria.’
He said: “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 have 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.”
