Nigerian military on duty
Majority of Nigerians have commended the recent activities of the Military in eliminating banditry in Northern Nigeria with particular refrence to North-West which has become increasingly violent. This is due to the activities of militias, known locally as “bandits.” The origins of the conflict in north-western Nigeria can be traced back to 2011 following disagreements between Hausa farmers and Fulani pastoralists.
Banditry in the northwestern states of Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina has reached an alarming position in recent years. They terrorise villages with impunity, maiming, killing and kidnapping innocent citizens.
So far, security agencies have continued to launch onslaughts on terrorist and bandit activities in the north. Similarly, the country’s military jets have carried out several air strikes in bandits enclaves. In May, the Minister of Defence, Muhammad Badaru noted that the synergy among the Service Chiefs and sister agencies led to the killing of over 9,300 bandits and insurgents, while 7000 had since been arrested in the last one year.
Recently, the Nigerian Army killed a notorious bandit leader and arms supplier, Kachalla Halilu Sububu, in a major operation against bandits in the northwest.
Sububu, a key figure in the region’s banditry, operated a large mining site in Dan-Kamfani, Anka Local Government Area, and owned thousands of cattle in the infamous Sububu Forest.
Also, many bandits are on the Army’s wanted list for various involvements in criminal activities. The terrorist activities of these bandits have had a tremendous negative impact on the economy, food security, free movement of goods and services and above all on the capacity of Nigerians to travel in the course of pursuing their legitimate businesses and earning a living.
The capital flight and the poor foreign investment in the country is due to the growing insecurity caused by the activities of these bandits. Many farmers can no longer access their farms as bandits kingpins impose levies on communities across northwest, forcing farmers to abandon farming as they run for dear lives.
This state of affairs has led to increasing hunger in the country which has reached unprecedented levels.
In the past one year, we witnessed a brilliant counterinsurgency move in the military and the core of this has been a sustained onslaught backed with new equipment and technology against banditry under President Bola Tinubu administration. This is highly commendable.
The backlash against the bandits is steadily rising, and NATIONAL WAVES like many Nigerians commends the efforts of the military. Nigerians should offer more support and share useful intelligence with the military. Going by the current pace of onslaught it will not be long before banditry is eliminated, but a lot depends on giving support to the military. Key commanders who had committed unimaginable atrocities against innocent citizens have been taken out by the military, the most recent being last week’s elimination of Halilu Sububu.
Other top commanders earlier killed includes Buhari Alhaji Halidu otherwise known as “Buharin Yadi” – He unleashed terror on citizens in Kidandan/Galadimawa general areas of Giwa LGA, Sabon Birni/Kerawa general areas of Igabi local government of Katsina and indeed some parts of Niger and Zamfara states.
A kingpin commonly called Dangote was also not too long ago killed in a gun battle with Kachalla Dankarami’s camp along the Dumbunrun Forest between Batsari and Jibia local government areas of Katsina State.
The military also destroyed Boderi Isyaku – a notorious bandit leader, responsible for the kidnapping of 39 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation and the attack on the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna in 2021.
Kachalla Dan Chaki,. Dogo Gudali, Dogo Rabe, Alhaji Auta and Kachalla, Rufai Maikaji, Ya’u and Alhaji Karki.
A bandit leader “Yellow” – who was operating several bandit camps in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina states, was also killed following Nigerian Airforce air strikes in Katsina and Zamfara states.
As it stands, the Nigerian military has recorded laudable success in its war against banditry going by the number of top bandits leaders killed in the last one year.
NATIONAL WAVES believes much can still be achieved if the government increases support in terms of funding and procurement of equipment and deployment of technology against the bandits. The country’s armed forces should not rest on their oars but sustain the tempo of the onslaught.
