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By: Mukhtar Garba Kobi
One of the fundamental keys in achieving uninterrupted transformations and projected goals by any country is for the governments in power to give more priority to the safety of all people within its territory.
Security as mostly say is everybody’s business as it affects the affairs of the sick and healthy, old and young, men and women, etc. To every sensible being, security is like an opportunity that nobody prays to miss because it comes just once.
The role of security in nation-building, therefore, is similar to the importance of water to plants; without which they would not survive.
Banditry started as farmers-herders clashes where herders intentionally or sometimes mistakenly chase their animals into farms, such animals eat all that they come across including the crops which vexed farmers making some of them take laws into their hands by attacking herders. Those clashes metamorphosed into cattle rustling, attacks on gold miners and kidnappings; it led to the loss of lives, destruction of valuable properties and closure of schools.
Zamfara State Government stated that ‘From 2011 and 2019, over 2,169 people were killed, 1,190 people kidnapped and the sum of N970 million was paid as ransom’.
These indices are just for one State apart from Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, the Niger States that are yet to be ascertained.
Sad enough, bandits are now bulging fearlessly into houses of their targets without restrictions from security forces, the security always comes late after bandits have wreaked havoc and run with the victims.
A security analyst with DailyTrust Newspaper Bulama Bukarti once said, ‘Kidnappings for ransom has become so normalized and institutionalized that it now bears the mark of legal enterprise’. This view goes in line with the kidnapping indices stated by Minister of Women Affairs Mrs. Pauline Tallen during a press briefing in commemoration of 2021 International Women’s Day; she said that more than 1,157 students were kidnapped in seven years.
In the past, bandits operated separately and in an independent way without leaders, but the emergence of dreaded men serving as their leaders is heartbreaking because those leaders came up with the idea of sending informers to spy on their next prey.
The good effort made by one Islamic scholar by acting as a mediator tends to be worthless as authorities concerned are not heeding to the idea. The activities of bandits are a big threat to food security as hundreds of farmers abandoned their farms in fear of been kidnapped at farms. Markets in villages where items like food commodities are sold and bought on a weekly or daily basis are now done in fear of unforeseen bandits’ emergence at any moment.
High levels of poverty and unbearable prices of commodities are amongst the factors that pushed many into banditry; many in villages find it hard to afford food items talkless of eating three times a day.
Most of the bandits are unemployed young men who are strong enough to pursue education or venture into business but are left with nothing by both government and rich individuals.
Based on the findings of Dr. Ahmad Gumi, the bandits were once or on many occasions tribalised or their cattle forcefully taken away that’s why they embraced arms. Another factor that fuelled banditry was Governments’ lackadaisical effort and inaction in addressing farmers-herders clashes.
For our dear country to be free from banditry, first of all, the government approach of carrot and stick is commendable but dialogue with leaders of bandits is the key; doing this would make governments know their demands and resolve their grievances amicably.
There is a need for authorities saddled with responsibilities of eradicating poverty to enroll more people especially those in rural areas. Herdsmen should be given wide pasturelands close to their residence for feeding their animals; it would definitely halt them from entering farms which led to clashes. Lastly, anyone found guilty of discriminating against people from other tribes must be punished which would serve as a deterrent. May God Grant Nigeria Absolute Peace!!
Mukhtar writes from Bauchi and can be reached via 08100358411
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