By Suleiman Umaru
Bello Matawalle, a former governor of Zamfara state, and now minister of state, Defence, appears to have thrown a challenge to his successor, Gov, Dauda Lawal, Gen. Aliiyu Gusau, rtd, and other accusers ‘’to bring a proof that he was among those sponsoring Bello Turji, Bandits Group Leader and his armed followers, who had been terrorizing the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, including Kaduna and the north central state of Niger, over the years.
The minister who was said to have asked the accusers ‘’to bring a proof of that’’ had said that they are all involved in the same activities they have alleged him of.The former Zamfara state governor had argued that his’’ fearlessness in tackling the criminal elements in the north western amfara state was what had made him popular among the bandits group gang leaders, engaged in the criminal activities’’.
Appearing on Channels Television recently, he had said that his decision to engage in dialogue with the bandits group gang leaders operating in Zamfara, as the then governor of the statae , was supported by several governors, which he had said led to the release of some abducted persons and recovery of ammunitions.
The embattled former governor who had described ’’Zamfara as a complex state with terrible human beings with devilish ideas’’, had said that as the only governor who swore by the Quoran, on assumption of office in 2019, he has’’ no hand with banditry and not happy with hat is happening in Zamfara state’’.
The poverty –driven Zamfara state was the first to introduce Sharia Law in the whole of the north western geopolitical region 2000, during Ahmad Sani Yarima’s Administration, and twelve years later, banditory broke out in the state, which was said to be three years after the out break of insurgency in the north eastern states of Borno and Yobe.
The elimination of Halilu Kachalla Buzu, a gold miner from the neighbouring Niger Republic, and one of the bandits group leaders in a military ambush at Kwaren-Kiya village along Mayanchi –Anka road in the Matawale, home state may have shown that the bandits group leaders are not elusive as alleged but easy to kill when taken the battle to their camp in the forests.
The elimination of Halilu Kachalla Buzu, a gold miner in Zamfara state, from the neighbouring Niger Republic, and one of the bandits group leaders in a military ambush at Kwaren-Kiya village along Mayanchi –Anka road in the Matawale, home state may have thrown the group into disarray .
Only recently, Kachalla Sani Black, another notorious bandit’s group gang leader in Zamfara, who has made life uncomfortable for the people of the state by following the footsteps of thedeceased Buzu, in the killing and kidnap spree, was said to have been killed alongside two of his sons in an ambush operation at Magama Mai Rake in Maru Local Government of the north western amfara state Community Protection Guards, CPG, with support of the military.
Black’s death was said to have been quickly followed with the elimination of Kachalla Makore , along with several of his fighters on Sunday, September 22, 2024, along the Kwankele road in the Magami area of Gusau LGA, meaning that the soldiers are closing in on Turji, described as the most wanted Bandits group gang leader for now. The death off the Kachallas, clearly shows that the Nigerien bandits are the ones that have dominated the banditry operations in Zamfara and other parts of the North West.
General Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, may heaved a sigh of relief over the elimination of the gang leader, Black, who a security expert had said had operated at Chabi, Dan Sadu area of Maru, Local Goveernment of Zamfa state. The deceased Black and is fighters were said to have terrorized communities and travellers in northern Zamfara state. The notorious bandits group’’ kill and go’’, gang leader, was said to have also carried several attacks in Kaduna, Kebbi and Niger states.
There are indications that at a time in Zamfara state, no other bandits group Leader, not even late Buzu, Black, Makore or Turji or any other notable gang leader had rivaled his influence in Dan Sadau area of Zamfara state. He was said to have commanded over 150 armed followers and was responsible for attacks in Maru, Gusau, Tsafe and other Local Government Areas in Zamfara state.
He was said to have also used his trigger hungry followers in kidnapping activities in the north western Zamfara state. The kidnap of students and staff of Federal University, Gusau, the state Capital, in February, this 2024, speaks volume.
The armed followers, of the deceased who were regularly sent out to attack Communities and mount road blocks to abduct travellers to make demands for ransom that runs into millions of naira, may have known that the game is up when their gang leader was gunned down in an armbush by Community Protection Guards, CPG, which had the backing of the military.
. The death of Black, the notorious bandits’ group gang leader, who had remained elusive over the years may have facilitated the release the Federal University of Gusau students and staff, who had been in the bandts group custody for seven months.
Until Black’s death in the hands of the CPG, with support of the military, there have been growing concerns in the 19 northern states of the Federation over the growing banditry and kidnapping in Zamfara state.
An indigene of the state had confirmed that virtually on a daily basis they burry between five, 10, to 20 persons killed by bandits group fighters in the state. The aggrieved Zamfara state resident had said that there are more killings taking place in the state than in Borno, Yobe Admawa or Taraba, home state of Gen. Theophilous Danuma, , rtd, a former minister of Defence, during Olusegun Obsanjo’s Administration, put together.
Zamfara, according to security analysts has long faced problems with the armed bandits groups involved in cattle rustling, kidnapping, which has in turn prompted some Local Government Areas in the state to form Vigilante gangs to checkmate the activities of the bandits, before the intervention of the state government to establish the CPG.
At the beginning of April 2024, an aggrieved Gov. Lawal, who was said to be worried over the growth in informal mining activity in this solid mineral- rich state , which has attracted people, both within and outside the country , further fueling instability , had suspended all the mining activities and collaborated with the military to deploy more troops to the Communities where these solid minerals: iron ore, lime stone, alluvial gold and Kaolin are being mined. This may have exposed the bandits’ group leaders and gold miners as they try to run for cover.
The renewed military operations to crush the bandits’ group fighters in Zamfara state was said to have been replicated in Kaduna, another state, in north western geopolitical region, affected by the bandits operations.
Indeed, the intensified attacks on the bandits’ group in the state, may have pitched one Kachalla Tukur Sharme , described as Kaduna’s most deadly bandits group gang leader, in the class of late Buzu and Black, and his armed fighters against another armed gang in Hambakko’in and Faso forests , spanning Kachia and pats of Chukun and Kauru LGAs as they could not stand the military onslaught.
Samuel Aruwan, the Kaduna state Commissioner for internal security, who had been working closely with the security operatives in the state, had confirmed that the bandits group gang leader, Sharme, died in the clash alongside other armed followers.
The Commissioner had said that the gun battle, between the two rival bandits’ group gangs, gave room for some the abducted victims of the two groups who had been their custody for months and years to escape.
Giving an insider information of the operations of the deceased Sharme in Kaduna state, Aruwam had revealed that he was involved in several banditry attacks in Communities that was said to have resulted in killings , kinappings in Kajuru, Maro, Millennium City, Maraban Rido and Kujama including villages in the Kateri general area, adjoining LGAs of Brnin Gwari, Kachia and Kagarko.He was said to be responsible for the kidnap of 121 students from Baptist High School.a, Kaduna state, on July 5, 2021, during Nasir El-Rufai’s Administration.
Despite the impressive performance of the military in the recent time, Lt.Gen. taooreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, CoA, was said to have expressed the need for every citizen to get involved in the security of lives and properties in the country and not only to be left for the security agencies.
The Army Chief was said to have identified four major challenges faced by the military militating against optimal performance by the service, which includes inadequate funding, inadequate manpower, lack of industrial base, and poor understanding of security by Nigerians. He was emphatic that the Nigerian army along with other security agencies are under-resourced.
