By Suleiman Umaru
Those who thinks that with the efforts currently being made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu backed Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser , NSA and the country’s security chiefs, which had led the death of several bandit Leaders including the popular Dangote, Boderi, Ali Kawaje and Damina, would have ended the Bandits Group activities in the north western states of Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Former President Muhammadu Buhari, home state and other forms of terrorism across the country will be disappointed.
Dikko Radda, the incumbent governor of Katsina, one of the states hard-hit by the activities of the bandits had said that it will be impossible to erraadicate because it has become‘’a business venture’’ for the criminals.
According to him some people who are in government, both at the Federal and state levels, some people working the military and other security agencies, and some people who are responsible for the day to day activities of people in their local communities, and other reasons are what had made impossible for the Federal Government and its security architecture to bring banditry to an end across the country’’.
Appearing on Channels Television recently, the Katsina state governor who could not hide his feelings had revealed based on information available to him from security sources that ‘’the high level of poverty’’ , particular, in the northern region had exposed the youths to recruitment under the logistics services of the bandits , noting that with N5,000.00, N2,500.00 and N500.00, these youths can be able to be convinced ‘’to join into this exercise which put money in their pocket on a daily basis due to lack of job.
An aggrieved Gov. Radda, who may have continued from where Bello Matawalle, a former governor of the Zamfara state and now minister of state, Defense, under the current Tinubu’s Administration, had said that the government, with its expansive security network had been unable to decisively deal with the bandits operating in the north western region states of Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna , Katsina and which had spread to Niger, home state of Ibrahim Babangida, a retired Army General and former Nigerian military President because of the too many recruits which was said to have resulted in setting up different camps in the forests in the region.
The governor may have shocked Nigerians when he disclosed that there are more than 100 different bandit’s camps within those north western states forests that are being led by different Leaders and followers and why it has been difficult bring lasting peace in Katsina state. He may have alluded to the fact that it is a lawless camp as the followers may not necessarily comply with the directives of their Leaders to lay down their arms if there is a truce between the government and the various bandits gangs Leaders.
This may have informed why Negotiations with the bandits as being canvassed by Sheik Ahmad Gumi, who had been involved in such negotiations over the years has remained a very difficult task. The high level of insecurity situation in the north western region appears to have become so bad that the governors of the affected states wants to pull resources together and join forces to confront the criminal elements.
As a prelude to working together as a team, 10 northern states governors were said to have travelled to the north American country of the United States, US, which Gov. Radda, of Katsina had said to interact with their security operatives in order to get fresh ideas on how ‘’to tackle the insecurity ravaging the region’’, and further explaining that they were invited to the meeting. Here him: We had a symposium with the US Institute of Peace so that we can bring about ideas that will end insecurity that is worrying the people of the north and which ha become a major problem of the subnationals.
GOV. Radda, who was said to have opened up on the three days visit to the North American Continent country, had said that they were able ‘’to cross-fertilize ideas and interact with all stakeholders that were involved in the symposium on how’’ to bring about lasting peace and security globally’’.
The visit of the 10 northern governors too the US, confirms what Vladimir Putin, the Russian President had said that African Leaders will never be independent because they believe so much on the Americans, Europeans and the Asian country of China more than themselves to give them ideas on how .to run their country and their various states, particular tackling insecurity. He may have alluded to the fact that the Nigerian Leaders present themselves as weak people with no hope, especially when dealing with the Americans, Europeans and the Chinese.
He was emphatic that the African Leaders, particular, the Nigerian Leaders hate each other which may have given the British Government, the then colonial masters the opportunity to continue exploring the country’s Oil, gold, and uranium and other mineral resources with little or no return to the Nigerian Government.
He was emphatic that if the African Leaders and indeed the Nigerian Leaders can put their axe together, by fully tackling the country’s security challenges in which had hindered farming, the African soil can feed the whole of America, Europe and Asia but ‘’the problem of the African Continent , including Nigeria, the most populous country is just their Leaders’’.
Barely one week after Gov. Radda return from the US trip to the US alongside nine other northern states governors, the bandits gave him the first baptism of fire by directing their gun on Ungwar Sarkin Noma, and three other Communities in Sabuwa Local government, described a one o the flash point areas in the state and killed 24 persons. Security analysts had described the Bandits attack on the Katsina Communities as reprisals over military offensive s on the bandit’s hideouts in the fores
