That Bandits-Residents’ ‘Peace-Meeting’ in Katsina

That Bandits-Residents’ ‘Peace-Meeting’ in Katsina

By Mukhtar Ya’u Madobi

Many citizens have since been left speechless and disappointed as to the extent Nigeria’s security crisis is deteriorating. In a video that recently trended online, citizens watched with stupefaction, how residents of Fankami community in Faskari LGA of Katsina State, held a ‘peace meeting’ with dreadful armed bandits.

At the venue of the meeting, a voice in the video was heard saying “Hello Sanusi, please I want you to follow the road and notify people that Fulani men [the bandits] are passing by and nobody should interfere in their business because a peace has been brokered.

“They [bandits ]will only pass and nobody should say anything as they are approaching right now.”

According to a source who spoke to PRNigeria, the meeting was conveyed in order to broker a truce between the residents and bandits so as to allow the former to live their normal lives, have access to their farms and equally harvest agricultural produce, now that the farming season is approaching to an end.

What is more disgusting about this unfortunate development was how security personnel including the Army and Police were sighted in the video, participating as stakeholders in the meeting.

More worrisome is how some of the bandits clad themselves in military camouflage, and wielded assorted ammunition during the event.

Armed bandits, in the North West and Central, have for years now held residents and communities to untold mayhem. Thousands of people have been killed, with several others abducted while properties including houses, schools and markets destroyed in the process.

The states that bear this brunt occasioned by the booming activities of banditry and kidnapping industry are mostly located in the northwest region with Katsina State at the forefront.

Thus, can we attribute this worrisome development to the failure of the government and security agencies who failed in their mandates of securing the lives and properties of the people whom they swore to protect?

For the records, whenever rainy season is approaching, most communities in Niger, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina States have no option than to pay taxes and levies to guns-wielding bandits as surety in order to be allowed to have access to their farms.

Same scenario is being repeated when it is time to also harvest and transport the yield back to home for consumption or commercialization. Failure to do so by the residents will lead to them being abducted, raped, maimed and equally killed by these dreaded bandits.

For how long will these episodes continue without taking necessary proactive measures to end it by the security institutions and other concerned authorities? The time is long over due for such happenings to continue in Nigeria- a country being tagged as the Giant of Africa.

Though the Armed Forces of Nigeria, AFN, is known for adopting non-kinetic or soft approach for tackling insecurity to some extent, but this situation does not really sound well and not in compatible with the principle and doctrine of ensuring a lasting peace in modern and civilized societies where there is a central and authoritative government.

While reacting to this recent unwanted development, the Defence Headquarters through the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, said the military high command was investigating the video to confirm its authenticity as regards the soldiers seen in uniform.

He disclosed that the DHQ is aware of the resolve of some bandits to repent and hand over their weapons to the authorities which according to them is yielding good results and is ongoing.

“The DHQ assures Nigerians that its non-kinetic measures aimed at the restoration of peace are yielding results, with several bandits and other criminal elements surrendering to authority.

“Governments at all levels are encouraged to allow bandits genuinely willing to surrender to do so while the window is still open. Defence Headquarters is doing everything possible to restore peace and tranquility all over the country and urges all citizens to remain calm and be law-abiding,” he said.

Nonetheless, the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, the Military High Command, the Police, Department of State Service and other security institutions should not treat this important issue with levity. They should launch a thorough investigation in order to get to the root of the matter, and avert a recurrence.

Otherwise, this will continue to remain a slap on the face of Nigerian security architectures, and the government as a whole.

Meanwhile, security experts and public analysts have since identified cutting off sources of funding for the terrorists as a stepping stone towards surmounting security challenges in Nigeria.

Recently, the National Coordinator, National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Rear Admiral Yaminu Musa (rtd), says kidnapping for ransom has become a means for terrorists to fund their activities.

Mr Musa made the development known on Wednesday, September 13, in Abuja during the “Anti-Kidnap Multi-Agency Fusion Cell Media and Communication workshop,” organized by the ONSA in collaboration with the British High Commission.

It is good to note that ransom is just one out of the multiple ways used in financing terrorism in Nigeria. Therefore , identifying and corresponding blocking other sources will deal a big blow to the activities of these non-state actors. May Nigeria triumph over its enemies!

MUKHTAR is the author of a book on “National Security Strategy” and is a staff writer with the Emergency Digest.