The activities of bandits have led to general and complex social violence and insecurity in the North-west and North-central states of Nigeria for almost a decade. It has led to the destruction of lives and properties, displacement of thousands from their communities and a growing numbers of widows, widowers and orphaned children with many now residing in camps as IDPs following armed bandits’ continued attacks on both farming and pastoral communities in parts of Northern Nigeria.
Kidnapping is a major problem in Nigeria in the early 21st century. Kidnapping by bandits and insurgents is among the biggest organised or gang crime in Nigeria and is a national security challenge and has become a source of great concern to the government and the governed.
Fiscal federalism in Nigeria has failed in its core mandates in uniting the nation and uplifting its status in the eyes of the world as the giant of Africa on more practical phases.The 36 states of the federation depend on monthly allocation from Abuja for survival.
However, political corruption and incompetent leadership can be found at all tiers of government. This, among other things, has led to feeling of economic and political marginalisation, real or perceived, among various parts of the populace and many have been left to their own devices.
Consequently, as the nation continues to bleeds to the surprise of the world both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have continued to pay lip service to the ongoing carnage against Nigerians. President Muhammadu Buhari had campaigned on three key issues of corruption, economy and insecurity.
Fulani race has been fingered as the foot soldiers while the masterminds may be from other ethnic groups.They are known to be cattle rearers for decades and today their only source of income has been wiped out due the cattle rustling and farmers/herders conflicts. Some of the herders recruited into banditry whose cattle have been rustled and the fight with farmers have found a more lucrative revenue-generating operation.They have turned to kidnapping for ransom and trading terror for community payoffs.
The bandits also include the opportunistic criminally minded men, who may be supported by some members of the Nigerian security force who, in a gradually collapsing economy, also find this a lucrative way of exploiting Nigerians.There is also the possibility that some are remnants of the Abubakar Shekau faction of Boko Haram in the North-east, who have been dislodged by the group’s other faction, now aligned to ISIL as ISWAP.
Since the launching of the Kaduna – Abuja train route, the bitter truth is that top ranking politicians became accustomed to standing in the coaches whenever they were congested rather than taking the highways in their luxury cars with security convoys. Even though the axis of tragedy cuts across parts of the South, it is central and especially North-west Nigeria that continue to suffer the most. In some villages, they have even become the law, taxing locals on a regular basis.
For nearly a century, small bands of cattle rustlers have been invading villages in the North for cow and food. That has often led them into direct conflict with farmers and other locals in these areas. These unresolved confrontations are some of the key factors that gave birth to the current spate of killings and kidnapping for ransom in Nigeria.
To end banditry in the North for sustainable peace and development, government must start building trust with local communities vulnerable to attacks by bandits. The federal and the state governments should set up early warning and response systems, working with vigilantes and community leaders.
They should address the structural inequalities that drive people to violence, like poverty, free and compulsory education, create opportunity for all and stop government’s citizenry mistreatment by ensuing that protection of lives and property form their primary responsibility beyond statements read on the pages of newspapers.
The military in particular should redirect its attention to controlling the trafficking in small arms and light weapons, specifically by patrolling porous national borders. Banditry is not a problem that can be solved through the barrel of a gun but it will be history if appropriate steps are adopted.
In the end, the masses must be security conscious while resorting to prayers, especially this period of Ramadan and Easter because the bandits are not ghosts but are humans in our midst.
Danaudi, national president of Arewa Youths Advocates for Peace and Unity Initiative,writes from Bauchi via [email protected].
