By Suleiman Umaru
Taoreed Lagbaja, a Major General and General and General Officer, Commanding, GOC, one Division, Kaduna, appears to have charged the atmosphere in the war against Terrorism, epitomized by the Bandits Group in the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina, President , Muhammadu Buhari, home state, and the north central state of Niger including Abuja, the Feral Capital Territory, FCT.
This is evident going by what is happening in Zamfara state, described as home of the Bandits as the Force Tactical Team, had arrested one Umar Namaro, a notorious Bandit, and a six –man syndicate of informants who Collaborate with the Bandits in their operations in the state.
The six-man syndicate, informants, who, according to informed sources collaborate with the Bandits gang led by Namaro, who are currently in police net were said to have been terrorising communities in Gusau, Kaura-Namoda, Tsafe and Bungudu Local government Area Areas and its environs, in the state over the years.
The Force Tactical Team, may have been emboldened to dare the Bandits in the four flash point Local government Areas, in the state because of what Operation Forest Sanity, OFS, personnel, are doing currently in Kaduna state to flush out the Bandits in Chikun and Iigabi Local government Areas.
Giving an insider information of the operation that that was said to have led to the arrest of Namaro, described as a notorious Bandit in security circles,Mohammed Shehu, a Deputy Superintendent and Zamfara state Police Command spokesperon, had said that the Namaro and the six-man syndicate were arrested on Friday, September 16, 2022. They were said to hacve been arrested during an intelligence –led operations that was said to have been conducted in some criminal hideouts along Gusau, Kotor Koshi, and Mada ,axis and Tsafe LGAs respectively.
He had said that during the operation, which was said to have lasted for hours, the Tactical Operatives of the Zamfara state Police Command headquarters, who were determined to send the Bandits to their Creator, had recovered a locally fabricated revolver gun, military camouflage uniforms, fake military ID card and other dangerous weapons from one Zainu Lawal, a fake Nigerian soldier and other suspected criminals, still at large,were said to have been involved over the years in supplying arms, ammunition , foodstuff, motorcycles and military uniforms to the Bandits in their forest hideouts . Ibrahim Dorsara, the state Commissioner for Information had said that there are over 100 camps, spread across forests in the state used by the Bandits to carry out their criminal activiNamaro, who is currently helping the Police, in the state, in their investigations, had confessed during interrogations that he is one of the notorious Bandits in the state who had led several Bandits attack in Mada and Kotor Koshi. He did not there. He was said to have also informed his Police interrogators that he was involved in Kidnapping, Cattle Rustling and other violent crimes in the state.
Namaro, may have left no one in doubt that he was a killer, as on the spot search on him had led to the recovery of one AK 47, one Lar rifle and 174 rounds of Live ammunition in his possession. The activities of the Bandits and their informants which is giving the people of the state more troubles may have informed why Bello Matawalle, the state governor, had taken the bold initiative to adopt some punitive measures , including demolition of houses where informants, weapons suppliers and others aiding and abetting Bandits attacks, in the state are living.
Matawale, the no nonsense Zamfara state governor who could not hide his feelings had pointed accusing fingers at those living mostly in the cities for providing information to the Bandits Group fighters. The governor may have adopted the punitive measures to deal decisively with the Bandits because of the alleged involvement of security operatives in supplying arms, ammunition and military kits to the Bandits in the state.
Recall that in 2021, seven security operatives were nabbed for allegedly supplying arms, ammunition and military kits to the Bandits, to sustain the operation in the state. More worrisome was the arrest of an officer of the Nigerian Army, the same year for also supplying ammunition and military uniforms to the Bandits in the state.
Indeed, the Zamfara state governor may have come to the understanding that the frequent arrest of the Bandits and their informants and keeping them in Police custody have not made any difference in forcing the criminal elements to stop their nefarious activities in the state that he had thrown is weight towards the death penalty bill to ensure that those convicted for Banditry, kidnapping, Cattle Rustling and cultism in the state are made to pay for it.
Last August, the governor had signed into Law, the bill passed by the state House of Assembly ‘’prohibiting and punishing, Bandits, terrorists, Cattle Rustling, kidnapping and other incidental offences in the state’’.
In signing the Bill, into Law, the governor, was said have made it clear to those that cares to listen that that ‘’anyone found guilty by the Court of Law of ‘’aiding and abetting Bandits and Terrorists or involved in Kidnapping, Cattle Rustling and other incidental offences would be liable to‘’life imprisonment, twenty years imprisonment or ten years imprisonment without option of fine’’.
But the new Law, provides that any person found guilty of Banditry, kidnapping, Cattle Rusting, Cultism or an informant to the Bandits would be liable to death penalty’’. This is bad news to Namaro, the acclaimed notorious Bandit,Lawal, the Fake soldier and the six-man syndicate of informants who were said to have been Collaborating with the Bandits to terrorise the people of Gusau, Kaura Namoda, Tsafe and Bungudu, LGAs and its environs.
While Matawale, governor of Zamfara state has taken the bull by the horn to deal decisively with Bandits and their informants in the state, Hamza Al-Mustapha, a former Chief Security Adviser, to Late General Sani Abacha, a former Nigerian Head of State and now Presidential Candidate of Action Alliance, AA, for the 2023, general elections had said that politicians come and use the name of religion to dictate who will rule the country or not . ‘’We as a country have been taken for a ride over the years’’, he had said.
The AA, Presidential Candidate, who could not hold back his tears on Saturday, September 17, 2022, when a coalition of northern Christian women, whom he had described as his sisters visited him in his Abuja residence had lamented over the worsening state of insecurity in the country, stressing that what the country needs now is ‘‘good Leadership to address it squarely’’.
The northern Christian women, may have made him to understand that he has ‘’the capacity to address the high level of insecurity in the north’’ which may have swollen his head to see himself as one of the top contenders for the 2023, general elections.
Only recently, he had a closed door meeting with Nyensom Wike, governor of Rivers state, in his private residence in PortHarcourt. Wike is currently leading the campaign in the PDP, that Iyorchia Ayu, the party National Chairman must resign to pave way for a southerner to take over the position.
His worry was that Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President during Olusegun Obasanjo’s Administration and the Presidential Candidate of the party is from the north eastern state of Adamawa while Ayu is from the north central state of Benue, which is not healthy for the party. The party Leadership may have known that Wike the Rivers state governor and his Team, may not support the election of Atiku, that they may not have considered it necessary to give the Team members any position to handle for the party in the 2023, general elections to avoid leaking out their plans for the 2023, general elections to their opponents.
