Form regional security to fight banditry, residents tell northern governors

Lami Sadiq & Faruk Shuaibu (Kaduna), Ibrahim Musa Giginyu (Kano), Shehu Umar (Gusau)

Residents of Kaduna have called on the Federal as well as state governments in the Northwest to review their strategy in the fight against bandits who continue to invade communities, maim and kill hundreds.

Abubakar Ahmad, who resides in Kaduna, told our correspondent that there was no need to think hard on issues concerning insecurity in Kaduna and the entire northern region as the daily number of attacks and deaths is enough to draw the conclusion that the current security strategy is weak and called for new tactics to confront the situation.

“With all facts taken into consideration, the Kaduna State government is doing its best to ensure the lives and properties of citizens are protected, but more needs to be done for all to see and appreciate the efforts,” he said.

For Ibrahim Yusuf, another resident of Kaduna, the concentration of security forces in the Northeast region was perhaps a major loophole that provided an avenue for bandits to thrive in Kaduna and other northwest states.

“Banditry in the northwestern region started a few years back with cattle rustling, before it transmuted into serial killings, sacking of villages, destruction of properties and kidnappings. These events are happening in the northwestern region at the same time the northeastern part is being terrorized daily. So, the government is still giving less attention to banditry in the northwest region,” he said.

He however said most state governors are helpless because the security architecture of the country is structured to give power to the centre. “So, unless the security architecture is decentralized, the governors may not have much control and that is why it is best for the governors of the northwest to come up with a local security formation like that of the southwest,” he said.

When contacted, Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said the government was collaborating with the military, police and other security agencies to tame the tide of killings and protect the lives of citizens in the state.

Aruwan also said the government has put in place modalities to strengthen human intelligence that involve community participation to acquire information that will lead to lasting peace in the state.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai had last week said his administration was working with the Nigerian Airforce, Army and the Inspector General of Police to ensure that the war against banditry continues unabated. The governor had stressed that, “we do not negotiate with bandits, we kill them. We don’t talk to them; we are going to wipe them out by the grace of God.”

Malam Sagir Salihu Chedi, a civil society activist, stated that even though Kano State is safe from banditry for now, that doesn’t guarantee the lackadaisical approach with which the state government is handling the issue.

According to him, there is need for all the north-west state governors to come together and adopt workable strategies such as effective and collaborative security setup that will operate in all the affected states to ensure the safety of human lives and properties within the region.

Similarly, for Alhaji Sagir Muhammed, a business merchant in the state, Kano State has not taken any measure in averting possible banditry attack. “I am a merchant and I travel a lot; therefore, I can authoritatively tell you that we are just at the mercy of God because the Kano State government has not put anything on ground to avert bandits’ activities. The boundaries are so porous, the forest so free and the security personnel so compromising to a large extent,” he said.

He added that the issue has not been taken seriously even though it is more serious than what the government is currently thinking, adding that the masses should be very vigilant and ready to protect themselves should anything happen.

However, Hajiya Mairam Mahaboob, an entrepreneur in the state, said there is need to focus more on security challenges. According to her, the northwest governors should suspend all other projects and concentrate on protecting the lives of innocent citizens.

Reacting to the people’s agitations, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ganduje, Malam Abba Anwar, said the state government had taken a lot of measures in respect to security in the state. According to him, the state had donated a 2,169-hectare land for the construction of the military facility at Falgore forest to complement the federal government’s efforts in the fight against banditry.

He added that the state government had began recruitments of 2,200 constabulary personnel to complement the efforts of existing security agents, adding that each of the 44 local government council areas in the state will benefit from the arrangement, and will have 50 constabulary personnel each.

Residents of Zamfara State said they would like the state authorities to jettison any move to renegotiate with armed criminals terrorizing the state, but instead, make use of brute force to dislodge them from their various hideouts inside forests in different parts of the state.

Speaking with our correspondent, some residents said it seemed the armed bandits are taking advantage or hiding behind the purported peace agreement to continue to carry out the dastardly acts of killings and kidnappings in the state, therefore the state authorities must find ways of dealing with them head on. Surajo Muhammad Birnin Magaji, a Gusau resident, said criminals are not found to be trustworthy because in the past, such peace deals with them by the previous administration had collapsed when the armed men decided to continue to unleash mayhem on people without any provocation.

“The government must respond to their devilish acts in the language they speak - violence. It should be an eye for an eye and a hand for a hand. No more peace dialogue. They were the ones that violated the pact reached. They were asked to surrender their weapons but they refused.

“Their refusal to submit their riffles means they have no intention to embrace peace. The late cattle rustling kingpin called Buharin Daji was engaged for peace by the neighboring Katsina and Zamfara state governments. He agreed to cease hostilities but later reneged on his promise and renewed attacks on communities. He was later killed in gang violence,” Birnin Magaji said.

Another resident, Habib Yahaya, said state authorities must get rid of political shenanigans in the quest to end insecurity in the state, adding that there must be synergy between the leaders and the led and between different political actors if the security challenges are to be surmounted.

“The state government should employ the services of local vigilantes to lead the security operatives through the rough terrain to the bandits’ camps inside the forest. With the cooperation of every one, it is matter of time before these criminal elements would be decimated once and for all,” he added.

In the same vein, Isah Lalo said the state government must acquire its own fighting equipment and should be less dependent on the might of the security agencies controlled by the federal government. He said such move would tremendously help in checking the activities of armed criminals anywhere in the state.

“With the resources at their disposal, the state government should be allowed to acquire fighter aircraft, surveillance gadgets and deploy them where ever possible and when necessary. I don’t buy the idea of peace negotiation anymore.”

However, Alhaji Sani Liman said the state authorities should instead of using force against the criminals review the current peace deal and try to identify loopholes for the betterment of all and sundry. He said as far as he is concerned, peace dialogue remains the best option.

The state government through Governor Bello Matawalle’s Special Adviser Public Enlightenment, Media and Communication, Malam Zailani Bappa, said the state would still adopt the carrot and stick approach to end banditry.

“Those who embrace peace would see peace but those who remain defiant would be defeated using force. This is the stand of Zamfara State government,” he said.