By Suleiman Umaru
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who incidentally was a former governor of Lagos state, appears to have taken the last one year to study the country’s security architecture and how to bring down the activities of the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, Bokoharam, the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, Bandits Groups, Killer herdsmen, kidnappers and the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, a separatist group, founded by Nnamdi Kanu, currently in the custody of the Department of State Service , DSS.
Going by security reports, between 2009 and now, the criminal elements, have laid waste to many communities, particular, in the north western states of Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi and the north central state of Niger.
The incumbent Nigerian President may have known that there were lapses in the prosecution of the country’s anti-terrorism war by the previous Administration, thus giving the killer gangs, drawn from Niger Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad, room to operate and do everything within their powers ‘’to overwhelm the country’s existing security system’’.
The Nigerian President, who has vowed to tackle the criminal elements, head on, appears to have thrown his weight behind the security agencies, particular, the military and the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, under the close watch of Kayode Egbetokun by the agencies with all the necessary support and equipment to do their work.
Theophilous Danjuma, an Army General, rtd, and a former minister of Defense, during Olusegun Obasanjo’s Administration whose home state, Taraba, is also feeling the pinch of the bandits group operating in the north western geopolitical region, and who could no longer take the excuses of the military over their inability to end banditry , terrorism and kidnap activities in the country was said to have asked Gen. Christopher Musa, Chief of Defense Staff, CDS, and the service Chiefs to end the activities of the criminal gangs ‘’as soon as possible’’.
The former minister of Defece , who had at one-time served as the country’s Chief of Army Staff, CoAS, who could not hide his feelings at the presentation of a book : Big Boots: Lessons From My Military Service, authored by one Solomon Udounwa a Maj.Gen,rtd, in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, had said that ‘’the onus rested on the serving military personnel to end the menace of banditry and senseless killings by the marauders all over the country’’.
The CDS, may have read the handwriting on the wall that Nigerians are watching them that he has given his words that the military will end the banditry and killings that are going on all over Nigeria.
Many believe that the full participation of Air Marshal Usman Bala Abubakar, led Nigerian Air Force, NAF, in the aerial onslaught against the bandits, terrorists, kidnappers and criminal elements, who thinks that they can kill and run into their forest hideout, in any part of the country may have got the message right that’’ it is no longer going to be business as usual’’.
The death of Halilu Sububu, a notorious bandits group gang leader , from the neighbouring Niger, who had been terrorizing Zamfara, Sokoto and and north western stern states, including Niger, home state of Ibrahim Babangida, a retired Army General and former Nigerian military President in the hands of troops of Hadarin Daji, may have emboldened Dauda Lawal, governor of Zamfara state, to have declared that the days of Bello Turji, another notorious bandits group gang Leader, terrorizing Zamfara state that his end has come.
The north western state of Zanfara governor who was emphatic had said that ‘’with the collaboration between the state government, federal government and the security agencies, it is a matter of time for Turji’’, whom, security experts had aid is in the class of Sububu, to be arrested or killed.
The CS, may have corroborated what the governor, had said that the bandit gang Leader will either be killed or arrested when he said that’’ additional helicopters and other military equipment will be deployed’’ to ending insecurity in the country.
Although, the Zamfara state, governor, who appears to be a realist had said that the elimination of Turji, may not really mark the end of banditry in the north western state because there are other numerous gang Leaders operating in the state he noted that ‘’ it will bring it down significantly.
Gen, Musa, the CDS, who had described the 30 year-old Turji, as a ‘’deranged individual’’ who feels to be powerful, could best that he will be tracked, within the shortest possible time.
Turji , may have been targeted by security operatives because he has imposed a N30 million levy on the people of Moriki Community in in Zurmi Local government Area of the north wetern Zamfara state. The notorious bandits’ groups gang leader was said to have imposed the levy on the Zamfara Community following ‘’the killing of over 100 cows belonging to him by the military in one of their operations in the state. The bandits group gang leader was said to have made it clear to the people that if they fail to pay him the N30 million, they will’’ face his wrath’’.
The CDS, was said have promised that the military are going ‘’to address the issue of the payment of the N0 million levy to the bandits by Communities in Zamfara state since that is what they live on, which he had said further shows ‘’their desperation’’ .
The Army Chief, may hit the nail on the head when he said he non-state actors may have been surviving in their killing spree , across the country, because they get financial support of the people, thus urging them not to provide any support to them any longer or give out information to them on the movement of the troops , to put an end to their operations sin the region.
He may have identified some of the military lapses over the years that he had said that they are harmonizing their operations in order to come under one Commander that will able to utilize all military equipment and put the troops together to speedily address the activities of the bandits, terrorists , Kidnappers and IPOB, separatist group, across the country.
The DSS, may have made a bold statement with the recent killing of two suspected bandits and many others arrested in in Hayin- Nasara Community, off the Abua-Kaduna highway in Tafa Local Government Area of Niger state.
The attack by the DSS personnel on the bandits was said to have been carried out at a borders’ hamlet on the outskirts of the Niger state Community.This is bad news to the bandits, terrorists, kidnappers and other criminal elements , across the country that the end of the road has come.
