Insecurity: Bandits Group, The Centre Can No Longer Hold

 By Lateef Adegbite

With the death of Halilu Sububu , Kachalla Sani Black , Kachalla Makore and other Bandits Group Leaders, the terrorist Organization, appears to be  on verge of collapse. Bello Turji, described as one last notorious bandit standing may have known that the game is up that he has demanded ‘’the immediate cessation   of air strikes on their forests hideouts’’.

 Turji  , who had said that  the armed  conflict   in Zamfara state, which had spread to other states like  Sokoto, Kaduna and Katsina, home state of former President Muhammadu Buhari,  and the north central state of Niger, predates  Dauda Lawal, current governor of the north western state .  

The bandits group Leader  may have shocked Nigerians  when  he said  the conflict in Zamfara, home state of Bello Matawalle, minister of state , Defence , under the incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who incidentally  was a former governor of Lagos state,  described as the Center of Excellence,  has persisted  since the Administrations  of former governor  Ahmed Yerima.

The notorious bandits group leader, who could not take the narrative that portrays the north western state’s security crisis at the present time as a product of political rivalry between Matawalle, the minister of state, Defence and ex- governor of the state and his successor,Gov. Lawal,  insisting that that ‘’ the struggle  is deeper  and  more complex  than  the political Leaders  could acknowledge’’. The said bandits group Leader, had said that neither Matawalle nor Lawal  or Gusau, had a hand in sponsoring their operations in Zamfara state but God.         

Turji: notorious bandits group leader allegedly on the run to escape arrest or being killed by the military

Turji, and  who may believe is a Nigerien  and who has been terrorizing Zamfara, Kaduna,  Katsina and the north central state of Niger, over the years who appears to have read the handwriting on the wall that he is the most targeted of all the remaining leaders of the bandits Group still carrying gun to terrorize the states in the north western geopolitical region    that he was said to have ‘’called for collaboration   to end the bloodshed in the north  western  geopolitical region and Niger state.

 He was said to have fled  Zamfara  after  the Operations Whirl Punch and Operations Hadarin Daji  Commanders and their troops   intensified   their  onslaughts  against  the various Bandits group gangs in the north western  flash point states and Niger  state forests.

One school of thought   had said that the bandits group Leader who could no longer bear the heat from the Nigerian military  had relocated to  Burkina Faso, another  home country of the bandits in the SAHEL region while another school of thought had it that he has relocated to the north African country of Libya to regroup.  The 30 year –old run way bandits group  Leader, was a clear indication that ’’ the center can no longer hold in the bandits group as Turji has vowed to return back to Zamfara state to continue his banditry operations.

 He was said to have sent a message to  the warring political Leaders in Zamfara state, truly bearing the brunt of the armed bandits in the north western region , the   ‘’the gun and airstrike of their hideouts in the forests will not ‘’stop him and his  armed followers  from continuing their     Deadly attacks in state.

Gen.Musa: CDS

Although, Turji, and some of his armed followers were said to have escaped from Zamfara, to Burkina Faso in the West African   or Libya, in the North African sub-regions, to avoid playing into the hands of Gen. Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff, CDS’s men, , but some of his armed followers who are still on ground in the Zamfara  forests were said to have attacked  Maradum , home town of the minister of state , who incidentally was a former governor of Zamfara  and abducted five persons.

The attack, according tom an indigene of the Community was said to have come    a few days, after the minister, had challenged Gov. Lawal   and Gen. Aliyu Gusau, a former National Security Adviser, NSA, during former military President Babangida’s Administration,  ‘’ to swear with the Holy Quran   of their innocence pertaining to the issue of banditry in the north western state’’.

While Matawalle, the minister of state, Defence, appears to have used Federal might, to deal decisively with the bandits in his home state, Zamfara, as the people could jubilate over the gradual return of peace in the state for the first time in 12 years, the situation is not same in the north eastern states of Borno and Yobe.

While the people of Zamfara state, are happy, over the turn around of events in Zamfara, described as home state of the bandits, Edward Buba, an Army Major General, and Director, Defence Media Operations, had said that the military no longer give a breather to the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram and the Islamic state of West African Province, ISWAP, as they run helter -skelter for safety from the Lake Chad region.

The Army Major General,   was said to confirm the elimination of key terrorist groups Commanders   including Muniz, Arika, and 10 others.The eleven BokoHaram and ISWAP, Commanders who were said to have been eliminated by troops of Operation Hadin Kai, OHK,   were said to be in the league of Sububu, Black, Mkore and other Commanders who were aid to have eliminated by the military forcing Turji, another notorious bandits group gang to run for his dear life.

Sububu: bandits group leader shot by the military that distabilised the group

He had said that in the third quarter of this 2024, the military in collaboration with other security agencies, had killed 1,937, tInsurgents and arrested 2,782 suspects’ res and rescued 1,854 kidnapped individuals as well. He may have shocked many when he revealed that 65 terrorists Commanders were killed in   combat operations in the Lake Chad region in Borno and Yobe states between July and September, 2024.

The Army Chief,  who could not hide his feelings had said that  ‘’with  the support  from the state  governments,  the military  would intensify  its efforts   to clip the wings of the  bandits group fighters , Insurgents and  violent Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, founded by Nnamdi Kanu, now in the custody of Department of State Service, DSS,   in the south eastern geopolitical region.       

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