Mass destructions, calamities, socio-economic dislocations, you name them. What are all these about? They are the disgusting and horrible results of the lingering banditry in the northwest, Nigeria’s most populated region.
Recently, the ungodly elements shocked and traumatised us when they abducted, tortured and gruesomely murdered the Emir of Gobir, Alhaji Isa Bawa. This unprecedented violence sparks a stern warning that a lawless ‘nation’ of the brutish bandits portends calamity to our collective existence as insecurity in the northwest has reached its unacceptable and frightening climax.
We have had enough escalating misfortunes. The late Emir and thousands of slain Nigerians were victims of the failure of security in the northwest engineered by the dreadful gunmen. Over the years, the unrepentant terrorists, driven by economic infatuation, have been enjoying a field day perpetuating their nefarious activities. Defying military intelligence, might and professionalism, they have wantonly destroyed many villages, sacked communities, raped women and killed thousands of innocent people. It is estimated that over 450,000 people fled their farms and rural markets for safety in the northwest region. This unfortunate trend is a great setback on agricultural produce. While the murderous elements enjoy peace in the forest, the vulnerable rural communities are living in perpetual anxieties.
Findings reveal that these ‘lords of anarchy’ operate in different camps spanning over 80. They possess and wield thousands of AK-47 rifles with a high sense of immunity. With over a hundred thousand armed bandits across the troubled region, we must wake up from our slumber to fight this dangerous endemic before we get consumed. Rural banditry is increasing largely because the north-western Nigeria’s forestlands are vast, rugged, hazardous and grossly under-policed. This is aggravated by the fact that the region is blighted by endemic poverty, illiteracy, high level of substance abuse, and significant rate of rural unemployment among others.
Zamfara State is crowned as the epicentre of brutish bandits. Farming is no more a pride as usual for those defenceless farmers who have been economically dislocated. In Zamfara State alone, 6319 people were killed between 2011 and 2019, 3672 people kidnapped and more than 500 villages burnt down within the same period. You can imagine the staggering figures when the numbers are added to the apocalypses of the other affected states.
In 2021, bandits attacked more than 20 different schools in the northwest, kidnapped 1436 students and killed 16 while in school, resulting in school closures across the region. Sincere condolences and deep sympathy are extended to the bereaved and victims of this human catastrophe.
To strengthen their cells and unleash more harm, three operational strategies are renowned: economic incentive, coercion and social relations. They exploit the socio-economic vulnerability of the rural residents, the economically depressed and burgeoning youth population trapped in pervasive unemployment to recruit fresh members by offering N5,000. They also resort to civilian victimisation, threats and coercion as a veritable recruitment strategy. I still don’t know the efforts we are making to counter and frustrate these evil designs of the gunmen.
A popular theory has it that the evolution of banditry can be traced to an extra-judicial killing in April 2013 of the leader of a pastoralist group in Zamfara State by a Hausa-dominated vigilante group, on the allegation of harbouring and supporting cattle rustlers. Subsequently, his followers mobilised fighters and invited affiliated gangs for reprisal attacks. Members of the gang grew in number, acquired weapons and strengthened their connections till date.
The Emir of Kwatarkwashi, Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Abubakar Ahmad Umar noted that apart from the disagreement between Fulanis and Hausas over cattle rearing, grazing and farming land as the main cause of the crisis, it has been worsened by the discovery of gold and other mineral resources in the region. He alleged with dismay, that foreigners with selfish interests are involved in the crisis, supplying arms to locals and exploiting the mineral resources while Nigerians kill each other. He also condemned the role of politics in the conflict, accusing politicians for prioritising party interests over national security.
Banditry is boosted by arms trafficking and border porosity. In northern Nigeria, the porosity of the region’s borders favours the circulation and proliferation of small arms and ammunitions. This also coincided with the post- Gaddafi era, when arms started pouring out of Libya into the Sahel, destabilizing the entire region. Consequently, the region is now partially under ‘ barbaric rule’ of the bandits.
Like Adolf Hitler, bandits have clearly understood the potency of propaganda as an effective machinery of war. A famous propaganda expert in war, Hitler’s propaganda art was so much attractive to him that he assigned one Joseph Goebbels to the official position of ‘ National Propaganda Leader’. For the bandits also, propaganda is a major strength of their mayhem regime. It is amazing how we belittle propaganda machine in our war against bandits. It is a strong weapon for their destruction but we abandon it entirely.
Deeply entangled by the unfolding criminalities of the bandits, what is the way out? Many suggestions have been proffered to end banditry. Former governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State opined that a state of emergency should be declared to enable security operatives clear bandits’ enclaves and hideouts. Many are of the view that dialogue is the best option. But talks with the Islamic scholar Sheik Ahmad Gumi with the bandits in the forest proved abortive.
Intelligence studies have shown that banditry can be tackled through deployment of techno-driven surveillance, strengthened collaborative effort of law enforcement agencies and telecoms operations, genuine activation of good governance and adoption of a community participatory policing strategy.
Whatever the case may be, our northwest is devastated by insecurity. The intensity of the violence in the region should propel us deploy more impetus to our political will and urgently halt its destructive spread.
•Abdullahi writes via aaringim68@gmail.com
