By Kabir Mukhtar Galadanchi
It gladdens our hearts how our brave military has been intensifying offensives and operations to root out bandits and banditry in the North-West, particularly in Zamfara and Sokoto, to bring back normalcy and peace to the banditry ravaged states and communities in northern Nigeria.
The military’s recent Ariel bombardments and ground offensive that resulted in the elimination of some bandits’ leaders have boosted the fight against banditry and the confidence of all the concerned stakeholders adamantly and consistently speaking about the rising level of banditry and general insecurity in the region.
In the past weeks, many notorious bandits’ leaders and other terrorists who specialised in kidnapping for ransom and killing innocent civilians were sent to their Maker. Thanks to the well-coordinated aerial bombardment by some section of the NAF launching successful aerial attacks and unleashing serious damage to the now jittery and fear-stricken bandits running for their lives to avoid the currently sustained military bombardments and offensives.
The elimination of notorious Alhaji Auta scared other bandits’ leaders to be on their heels, especially the ferocious Bello Turji, the de factor governor-cum-administrator in those areas. He collects taxes and imposes rules which all must obey to save their souls. This is an embarrassment to our leaders and our security forces, to say the least, and has become a usual trend that is still occurring unabated.
Bello Turji has continued to dare the authorities and positioned himself as a somewhat invincible and unchallengeable criminal that can do and undo whatever he so desires in the communities he’s unleashing his inhumane activities and savagery.
But the recent killing of Alhaji Auta has sent jittery and panic into his camp. He’s now coming to terms with the reality and shamelessly calling and appealing for dialogue and conciliation.
Our military must not in any way give this vermin a space to breathe and must not relent in sustaining those assaults until Bello Turji and his bloodthirsty lieutenants are eliminated. Instead, the military should give them their deserved justice with the barrel of their guns, aerial attacks or through whatever lethal way that will ensure their permanent neutralisation.
Nobody can deny that the unconditional release of some 52 captives by Turji resulted from the intensified military assaults. Eliminating him (Turji) will send fear to hundreds of notorious bandits leaders operating in Zamafara, Sokoto, and Katsina and reduce their activities.
Credible reports have it that Duna Baleri, Dogo Gide, and a host of other bandits leaders are now hiding and running from their devilish camps to avoid our military’s ongoing pressure and offensives. We pray that their nemesis will soon catch up with them in no distant time inshaAllah.
While saluting our military’s efforts, bravery and gallantry, we also pray that they should continue to be determined, persistent, and maintain doggedness in flushing and neutralising these enemies of the state that made life hellish and turbulent through their primitive violence and atavistic barbarism.
On our part as civilians, let us unite and confront this huge challenge collectively without sentiment or regard to religious, ethnic and political affiliations and underpinnings. Let us also cooperate with the military in providing credible information that will help them uncover and eliminate these evils once and for all.
Kabir Mukhtar Galadanchi wrote from Katsina. He can be contacted via kmgaladanchi20@gmail.com.