Insecurity In Nigeria

By Aisha Mohammed Usman 

The Abduction of Major General Rabe Abubakar (Rtd) and His Wife Should Concern Every Nigerian.

Major General Rabe Abubakar (Rtd) spent decades serving Nigeria, helping to protect its people and defend its sovereignty. A respected military leader known for his professionalism and patriotism, he represents the sacrifice and dedication of countless Nigerians who have devoted their lives to national service.

Now, the reported abduction of Major General Abubakar and his wife has sparked widespread concern. Beyond the pain endured by their family, this incident is a troubling reminder of the insecurity facing the nation and a matter that should concern every Nigerian who values service, sacrifice, and justice.

At a time when public conversations are often dominated by criticism of leadership failures, we must ask ourselves an important question: Have we become a society that only speaks about bad leaders while remaining silent about the good ones?

There is no doubt that Nigeria faces significant leadership challenges. Citizens have every right to demand accountability, transparency, and effective governance. However, while we criticise those who fail us, we must also recognise, celebrate, and support those who have devoted their lives to serving others. Recognition is not merely praise; it is encouragement. It sends a message that integrity, sacrifice, and dedication still matter.

Major General Rabe Abubakar represents those values.

Among his many distinguished accomplishments, Major General Rabe Abubakar served as Nigeria’s Director of Defence Information, a position that placed him at the forefront of military communications and national security engagement. Throughout his career, he became widely respected for his professionalism, patriotism, and commitment to strengthening the relationship between the Armed Forces and the Nigerian people. Even after retirement, he remained an influential voice, mentor, and statesman whose counsel and experience continued to benefit both military and civilian communities.

For decades, he served Nigeria with distinction. Like many military officers, he endured the hardships that come with wearing the uniform—extended periods away from family, exposure to danger, and the immense responsibility of protecting lives and national interests. While millions of Nigerians slept peacefully at night, brave men and women in uniform stood watch, often under difficult and dangerous conditions, safeguarding the nation.

Yet what makes Major General Rabe Abubakar particularly remarkable is that his service did not end with retirement. Through mentorship, community development, youth empowerment, and civic engagement, he continued contributing to the growth and progress of society. His influence extended far beyond military assignments. He became a mentor to many, a trusted voice in his community, and a source of inspiration to both military personnel and civilians alike.

His impact can be felt not only through the positions he held but through the countless lives he touched. From his hometown and village to communities across Nigeria, he has consistently demonstrated that true leadership is ultimately about service to humanity.

It is therefore particularly distressing that a man who devoted his life to defending Nigeria, together with his wife, reportedly became a victim of the insecurity he spent years working to combat.

Alongside him is his wife, who has undoubtedly shared in the sacrifices that military families endure throughout the years of service to the nation. Behind every distinguished military officer is a family that bears the burden of long absences, uncertainty, and the demands of national duty. Their ordeal is therefore not only a tragedy for two individuals but also a painful reminder of the sacrifices made by military families across Nigeria.

According to reports, Major General Rabe Abubakar and his wife were travelling to Katsina for a family wedding when they were abducted in the Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State. Their driver reportedly survived despite sustaining a gunshot injury, while the retired General and his wife were taken away by armed men. Security agencies and military authorities have since commenced efforts to secure their safe rescue and return.

To those holding Major General Rabe Abubakar and his wife captive, this is an appeal to your humanity. Whatever circumstances may have led to this situation, there remains an opportunity to choose compassion over cruelty. This retired General dedicated his life to protecting fellow Nigerians. He served his country with honour and distinction. We appeal for his immediate and safe release, alongside that of his wife.

To the Federal Government, security agencies, and all relevant authorities, Nigerians are looking to you with hope and expectation. Every available resource must be deployed to ensure the safe rescue and return of Major General Rabe Abubakar and his wife. The nation owes a special duty of care to those who have spent their lives safeguarding its people and institutions.

Beyond this particular incident, there is a broader lesson for all of us. We must learn to celebrate our heroes while they are still with us. Too often, recognition comes only after tragedy strikes. We must speak about the people making positive contributions to our communities. We must highlight examples of integrity, sacrifice, and patriotism. We must encourage the next generation to believe that service to the country remains a noble calling.

A society that constantly criticises but never appreciates risks discouraging those who are striving to do the right thing. Good leaders need support. Good examples need visibility. Good deeds deserve recognition.

Major General Rabe Abubakar is one such example.

At a time when insecurity continues to challenge communities across the country, Nigerians must unite in support of all lawful efforts to secure the safe return of Major General Rabe Abubakar and his wife. Beyond differences of ethnicity, religion, region, or political affiliation, this is a moment that calls for collective concern, compassion, and national solidarity.

As Nigerians, regardless of tribe, religion, or political affiliation, this is a moment to stand together. It is a moment to pray for his safe return, support his family, and reaffirm our commitment to the values he represents.

The story of Major General Rabe Abubakar is ultimately a story of duty, sacrifice, and service. It is a reminder that true leadership is measured not by titles or ranks but by the positive impact one leaves on the lives of others.

As we await the safe return of Major General Rabe Abubakar and his wife, let us remember a simple truth: a nation that honours its heroes strengthens its future, while a nation that forgets them risks losing the very values that hold it together.

May Major General Rabe Abubakar and his wife return home safely. May justice prevail, amin.

And may Nigeria never stop celebrating those who serve her faithfully.

By Anwar Usman

Nigerian cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has dissociated himself from alleged statements and materials circulating online linking him with support for banditry in Nigeria.

This was disclosed in a press statement issued in Kaduna on Saturday, where the cleric described the reports as fake, manipulated and doctored by individuals and groups pursuing ethnic and sectional interests.

He stated that some of his media interviews, public lectures and comments on insecurity had been deliberately misrepresented by certain internet content creators seeking sensational headlines and online traffic.

The statement in part reads, “I hereby state unequivocally that any video clip, written statement, or message attributed to me, whether directly or by innuendo suggesting support for, justification of, protection of, or advocacy for banditry in Nigeria or anywhere else, does not emanate from me,” he said.

The Islamic cleric reaffirmed his loyalty to Nigeria, describing the country as a nation with unmatched potential.

Gumi urged the public, media organisations and government authorities to disregard any misleading materials being circulated in his name.

Gumi further warned that individuals or groups perpetuating the spread of falsehoods against him from the date of the statement would face legal action.

The cleric expressed hope that Nigeria would overcome its security challenges and that victims of violence across the country would find comfort in the collective resolve of Nigerians and the international community to end insecurity.

He attributed the persistence of insecurity to factors such as ignorance, poverty and widespread social injustice, while calling for lasting solutions to the crisis.

By Uzair Adam 

No fewer than 45 pupils were abducted during a coordinated attack on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on Friday, triggering widespread panic and grief across affected communities.

The schools targeted include Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School in Esiele, and L.A. Primary School. 

Residents said the attackers stormed the area in the early hours, disrupting school activities and whisking away children and some teachers.

A teacher at Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Elizabeth Olagoke, recounted that the gunmen arrived around 8 am on motorcycles, speaking Yoruba, Hausa, and Pidgin English. She explained that they fired sporadically, creating chaos before moving into classrooms.

“They came into my class first and tried to take me along with a child I was carrying,” she said, noting that she managed to escape after pleading with them. 

According to her, the assailants operated for only a few minutes but left with dozens of pupils drawn from Yawota, Esiele, and Alausa communities. 

She added that a teacher was also abducted, while motorcycles were stolen and a rider killed during the нападение.

The traditional ruler of Esiele, Oba Tajudeen Abioye, confirmed that about 45 pupils were taken, adding that efforts were underway to secure their release. 

A former lawmaker, Bamigboye Abidoye, said the number of abducted pupils from one of the schools alone was significant, while several teachers were also taken from the secondary school.

Security sources disclosed that three suspects had been arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, assuring that operations were ongoing to rescue the victims.

Meanwhile, parents of the abducted children expressed anguish over the incident. One mother, Ajarah Ayanwale, said the attackers initially deceived residents by posing as security personnel.

“We thought they came to protect us,” she said, explaining that panic set in when gunshots followed shortly after.

Another parent, Shukurat Pius, whose young son was taken, said some pupils escaped through windows, but younger children who could not flee were captured. She pleaded with authorities to ensure the safe return of the victims.

For Nafisat Agunle, the ordeal has been devastating since her child went missing. 

She described sleepless nights and constant searching, while Adijat Ibrahim said she still hopes her son will return home.

Other parents narrated similar experiences, with some losing more than one child in the attack. A resident, Gabriel Sunday, said two of his children were abducted while one managed to escape through the bush.

Amid growing fears, security operatives have reportedly surrounded forest areas near the communities, particularly around the Old Oyo National Park axis, where the attackers are believed to have fled. 

The state government said joint teams comprising the Nigerian Army, police, and local security outfits had launched coordinated rescue operations.

Authorities in neighbouring South-West states have also heightened surveillance and deployed additional security personnel to schools and vulnerable communities to prevent further attacks.

Security experts and regional leaders have warned that the нападение signals a growing threat in the South-West, urging stronger collaboration between governments and local security groups to address the worsening situation.

Despite ongoing efforts, uncertainty remains over the exact number of abducted pupils, complicating rescue operations. 

Officials, however, insist that efforts are being intensified to locate the victims and restore calm to the affected communities.

By Muhsin Ibrahim

Inna lillaahi wa innaa ilaihi raaji’un

There is a particular cruelty in the timing of some deaths, a cruelty that refuses to be explained away. Muslim Abdurrazak Ibrahim, 31, died on a Friday. Every Friday without fail, he would send a Jumu’at Mubarak message, a small ritual of love and faith that connected him to family and friends across the distance between a soldier’s post and the world back home. On this Friday, he sent nothing. He could not. He had already gone.

Muslim was the firstborn son of Abdurrazak, who named him after his uncle — a tribute to my older brother, Muslim. Abdurrazak, a retired soldier, had fought in battles inside and outside Nigeria and had returned home carrying the weight of friends lost in the trenches of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and beyond. His children, Muslim and his brother Bilal, would both join the Nigerian Army.

The week of his death was, without either of us knowing it, a week of farewells. On Wednesday, my busiest day, Muslim asked to speak with me, which was unusual in itself. We compromised, exchanging texts and voice notes instead. What followed was the most intimate conversation we had ever shared. 

Muslim spoke about his family, including his brother Buhari, who also wanted to join the Army. He spoke at unusual length and with unusual openness. For instance, he did not want Buhari to abandon his education to join the military. He had wanted a video or audio call for more direct contact, as he wanted to leave a wasiya, a will. We did not manage the call. But something was transmitted all the same.

On Thursday evening, he told me he was exhausted after the patrol. He and his colleagues had been chasing armed men on more than fifty motorbikes across the terrain of Kebbi State. They escaped. I prayed for better fortune next time. On Friday, there was no next time. He was killed in combat!

Just hours before his death, he had asked about obtaining a permit to travel home on the 20th of May to celebrate Eid al-Adha with his family in Kano. He had been looking forward to the feast and planning a homecoming.

He had also been planning a wedding. His betrothed, Nana, his girlfriend, his intended, was waiting. The arrangements were underway. He was thirty-one years old, at the beginning of the life he had been building, and then he was gone.

Muslim was a caring son to his parents, a devoted brother to his siblings, and a warm presence in the lives of friends, colleagues, and acquaintances alike. Those who knew him speak of his bravery on the battlefield, his attentiveness during training, his faithfulness in small gestures, such as the weekly Jumu’at message, among many other qualities. He was consistent. He was present. He was the kind of person who, even from a military post in the field, remembered to reach out.

This is the quiet tragedy within the larger one: that Nigeria loses sons and daughters like Muslim regularly, and the country has grown so accustomed to the loss that it barely flinches. The skirmishes, the patrols, the ambushes — they occur on the margins of the national conversation, and the brave men and women who fall in them are sometimes mourned only by their families, in private, without the acknowledgement their sacrifice demands. 

Muslim was not a statistic. He was a person who sent Jumu’at greetings and wanted to come home for Eid to meet family and friends. He had dreams and plans for the future. None of this would now happen.

I was, to my knowledge, the last family member to speak with him. That knowledge sits heavily. But I am also grateful that he reached out, that we spoke at length about family for the first time, and that something of what he wanted to say was said. He left, in those voice notes and texts, a presence that words can only approximate.

Against all odds, we pray for Nigeria’s prosperity. May the sacrifices of these gallant soldiers not be in vain. May Allah (SWT) forgive their shortcomings, accept their martyrdom, and grant their families and loved ones the strength to bear this loss.

May Muslim Abdurrazak Ibrahim rest in the mercy and peace of his Creator. May Nana be comforted. May his parents and siblings find strength. May his name be remembered — not only by those who loved him, but by a country that owes its soldiers more than silence, amin summa amin.

Inna lillaahi wa innaa ilaihi raaji’un — Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return.

By Ismail Bello Darazo 

Nigeria is a country known for its diverse ethnic groups, rich cultures, and traditions. There is also a strong history of peaceful coexistence among these groups. This harmony was more evident when traditional leaders were in control of societal affairs. All these things have faded away. Why?

Everything is better than before the marginalisation of the traditional leadership system, despite the democratic rule in various aspects of the sphere, but this particular issue of insecurity, especially the one between ethnicities, is not well addressed by the system. We still have time to make things better and manage.

The truth that we don’t want to say out has to be told in the sense that we would keep our eyes off the sad event masterminded by those we share the same tribe or religion with. This is what happens, and it is what fuels the escalating insecurity in the whole country. Political leadership was largely in the hands of traditional institutions, which formed a vital part of Nigeria’s governance structure before being marginalised by the modern democratic system.

The democratic system is centred on the separation of powers among the three arms of government—the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary. This has become the dominant mode of governance today. However, decision-making and policy implementation under this system have largely replaced traditional methods, which once ensured a high level of compliance because people trusted their leaders.

The marginalisation of traditional leadership by the democratic system is one factor contributing to the escalation of insecurity. Traditional institutions have deeper access to the grassroots and better knowledge of the local environment than the current system. 

It is rare to find any group of people without a leadership structure in which leaders report to higher authorities when decisions exceed their authority. This applies to groups such as herders grazing livestock and farmers producing food for trade and national food security. The relationships between these groups were previously managed by traditional leadership, which ensured harmony and stability despite differences.

However, the alienation and undermining of traditional institutions have weakened this long-standing unity. The sense of shared humanity has diminished. Despite intermarriages and shared values, conflicts of interest have damaged relationships, turning once-peaceful communities into hostile groups.

Despite these challenges, it is not too late to act. The government can revitalise the traditional ruling system by integrating it into policy-making and implementation processes. Traditional leaders should be given a sense of belonging and held accountable for their responsibilities. Thomas Fuller once said, “A stitch in time saves nine.”

The effectiveness of this structure can often change the narrative, due to its deep grassroots penetration, significantly improving the current situation. 

By taking this step, insecurity can be drastically reduced, if not completely eliminated.

Ismail Bello Darazo writes from Bauchi wrote via Ismailbello054@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Abubakar

Authorities in Niger have detained DW Hausa journalist Gazali Abdou Tasawa and placed him in Niamey Central Prison following a court summons on Thursday, January 22, 2026. The journalist appeared before the public prosecutor at the Niamey High Court for questioning related to a video report he produced.

The report highlighted the difficult living conditions of refugees from Katsina State in northern Nigeria who have sought refuge in Niger. However, no official statement has yet been issued detailing the specific charges against the journalist.

The detention has raised concerns among media observers and press freedom advocates, particularly regarding the treatment of journalists reporting on humanitarian and refugee issues in the region.

By Aminu Babayo Shehu

Nigeria is facing one of its toughest internal security battles in decades. From the kidnapping of schoolchildren in Kebbi and Niger states to the killing of senior military officers, including a Brigadier General, criminal groups continue to operate with increasing boldness. Bandits, kidnappers and terror cells now openly upload videos on platforms like TikTok and WhatsApp, displaying weapons, hostages and propaganda with little fear of consequences.

This is no longer an era where outdated tactics can secure the nation. Criminal groups are becoming more technologically aware, while the state still relies heavily on manual intelligence and slow-response systems. Countries facing similar threats have adopted advanced tools and strategies. Nigeria must follow the same path.

The United States and Israel use drones, satellite intelligence and geolocation trackers to disrupt hostile organisations long before they strike. Rwanda has established a modern drone command system to enhance surveillance and national security. India employs mobile tracing, SIM mapping and digital pattern analysis to dismantle kidnapping networks. These examples show that even in challenging environments, technology can expose criminal movements, reduce their operational freedom and strengthen national response.

Nigeria can apply the same approach effectively.

Real-time aerial surveillance remains one of the most critical gaps in Nigeria’s security architecture. High-altitude drones equipped with night-vision cameras and thermal sensors can monitor large forest areas where bandits hide. Such drones transmit live data to command centres, enabling tracking of movements and coordination of precision strikes. In many cases, soldiers need not be deployed on foot into ambush-prone areas; operations can be guided or executed remotely.

Mobile intelligence is another powerful asset. Every phone, even when switched off, leaves digital traces. With firm collaboration between telecom operators and security agencies, criminals can be located through cell-site analysis, call patterns and movement anomalies. India has successfully used these tools to reduce large-scale kidnapping syndicates.

Satellite imaging, when paired with artificial intelligence, can detect camps, vehicles, and human movement in remote areas. Modern software can analyse thousands of images within minutes and flag suspicious activity such as heat signatures, makeshift shelters, or recently cleared land. This drastically improves early detection and reduces operational delays.

State governments can also invest in early-warning technologies. Community CCTV networks, automated alarm systems and remote-sensor alerts can shorten response times. Local initiatives that once existed in a few states need consistent funding and national integration.

At the federal level, the Presidency should coordinate a national security technology blueprint. This would bring together drones, cyber-intelligence tools, biometric systems, satellite monitoring, and geospatial-analysis platforms into a single central command. Strategic partnerships with technologically advanced nations can reduce costs and strengthen capacity.

Nigeria’s security forces have courage and dedication, but courage alone cannot defeat modern criminals who rely on speed, shock and terrain mastery. Technology is the equaliser. It exposes hideouts, cuts communication lines and allows the state to strike before criminals mobilise.

The tools exist. They are affordable. They have worked in other nations. What Nigeria needs now is clear political will, long-term investment and an understanding that 21st-century threats demand 21st-century solutions.

If embraced, technology can save lives, disrupt kidnappers and terrorists, and restore the confidence of millions of Nigerians who deserve safety.

Aminu Babayo Shehu is a Software Engineer and Mobile Developer with experience building technology-driven solutions, including systems for logistics, telecommunications, e-commerce, and security-focused applications. He writes on technology, national development and digital transformation.

By Uzair Adam

Former Kano State governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has attributed the persistent insecurity in Nigeria to what he described as a lack of political will by the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.

Kwankwaso made the assertion on Tuesday while serving as the special guest of honour at the passing-out parade of 2,000 newly recruited personnel of the Kano State Neighbourhood Watch Corps.

Drawing from his experience as a former Minister of Defence, the NNPP leader said Nigerian troops have consistently demonstrated professionalism and effectiveness during international peacekeeping missions but face difficulties in tackling insecurity at home due to inadequate political backing.

According to him, the capacity of Nigeria’s security personnel is not in doubt, stressing that what is missing is firm commitment at the highest level of leadership.

He said the Commander-in-Chief must ensure adequate training, recruitment, equipment, arms and ammunition for the military and other security agencies to enable them to confront security challenges effectively.

Kwankwaso also called on the federal government to integrate trained personnel from northern states such as Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara into national security operations.

He argued that Nigeria needs no fewer than one million military personnel to effectively address both internal and regional security threats.

He further noted that beyond the North-West, the country requires additional armed security forces to complement the efforts of the military and other agencies, adding that the protection of lives and property remains the primary responsibility of the federal government.

Despite his criticism, Kwankwaso expressed optimism that the Kano State Neighbourhood Watch Corps initiative would contribute significantly to restoring peace in border and vulnerable communities grappling with insecurity.

By Suleiman Usman Yusuf 

Right now, I am deeply pained and genuinely confused, perhaps like many other well-meaning Nigerians who still believe this country can rise above its failures. If all I have to offer is my voice and my pen, then I will continue writing about Nigeria’s lingering security crisis until my last strength fades. Silence is no longer an option when the nation is bleeding this profusely.

This country is bruised. Every week, the news reminds us that Nigeria is fighting for its own life, not in theory but in blood and dust. Yet we move on too quickly, as if these tragedies belong to someone else.

The death of Brigadier General M. Uba should stop us in our tracks.

Not just because he was a senior officer. Not because his story is more important than the stories of countless others who fell before him. But because his final hours reveal both the extraordinary courage of the men defending this country and the painful weaknesses of the institutions meant to protect them.

Two days ago, Nigerians were told he was alive and safe. Today, the truth arrived from insurgent propaganda channels rather than from the State he served. That alone should trouble every citizen who still believes this country can be redeemed.

But beyond the misinformation, beyond the chaos of battle and the failures of communication, there was a man. A man who fought through one ambush, shielded his men, and kept talking on the radio even as danger closed in from every direction. A man who understood the terrain, the risks, and the meaning of service in a way many of us never will.

His killers did not find him by magic. They found him because insurgent groups in the North-East have evolved into highly adaptive, intelligence-driven networks. They have spotters, informants, trackers, and a familiarity with the terrain that gives them dangerous advantages. Our troops face that reality every day with limited resources and uneven institutional support. Yet they still go out, still patrol, still hold their ground.

Brigadier General Uba died in uniform, under a harsh Borno sky, in the service of a country that has not yet learned how to protect its defenders fully. His death is not just a battlefield loss. It is a national failure.

But this is where our story must change.

Nigeria cannot survive if we continue pretending that insecurity is a Northern problem, or a Christian problem, or a Muslim problem, or a regional competition in suffering. Nigeria is bleeding in too many places for that false comfort.

This is a Nigerian problem. All of us are inside this fire.

If we want to save this country, we must begin by admitting the truth.

We have an overburdened military fighting a war that politicians treat like background noise. We have intelligence agencies that do not always speak to each other. We have a society more invested in ethnic debates than national survival. We have families quietly burying soldiers while the rest of us argue online. We have institutions that hide failures rather than learn from them.

But we also have something else. We have citizens who still believe in Nigeria. We have communities ready to cooperate when trust is restored. We have young officers and men who refuse to give up on this country, even when this country sometimes gives up on them. We have people like Brigadier General Uba, whose courage reminds us of the Nigeria that is still possible.

If his death is to mean anything, it must push us toward a national rebuilding rooted in truth, accountability, and collective responsibility. It must force us to demand better communication protocols, better extraction procedures, better intelligence coordination, and better welfare for every man and woman who carries a rifle for this country.

Saving Nigeria is not a slogan. It is a long, disciplined, painful process that requires leadership, honesty, citizen cooperation, and institutional courage.

Brigadier General Uba has paid his share in full. The account is now with us.

Suleiman Usman Yusuf, a Governance, Security, and Development Consultant, AI Policy and Governance Advocate, and a Shaper of Africa’s Tech Future, wrote via suleimanusmanbac@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Isyaku Malumfashi

There are people within this government who support negotiations with bandits, and this piece aims to address them. I wrote against former Governor Masari’s governance when he had negotiated with bandits in an article published by The Daily Reality newspaper, titled “How Governor Masari is Wrongly Governing Katsina State.” I’m doing the same to refute any move to negotiate with bandits at the expense of the government’s power.

Meanwhile, apart from the government’s “data boys,” the problem we now have is the “negotiation lawyers” who protect the government from criticism of negotiating with terrorists. As I have been saying, it is a failure of the government to negotiate with terrorists.

Not only I, but many security experts have opined that negotiating with bandits is futile. In fact, the governor himself, Dr Dikko Umaru Radda, admitted during a call-in interview with Channels Television that he wouldn’t negotiate with bandits at their weakest point. We all applauded, as they have no justifiable reason for their actions and hence no grievances to present to the government for it to listen to. They should either surrender and cease fire, or the government should use force to wipe them out.

We’ve seen many such negotiations with bandits in both the previous administration and the present that have not borne fruit. Perhaps the Fulani terrorists breached the truce by breaking the agreement, thereby continuing to commit crimes against innocent citizens. 

The biggest problem is that they will come into town with weapons, as we’ve seen in the Kankara Local Government area, until people become accustomed to seeing them. Then, some will start to befriend them, so they, too, can get the opportunity to handle weapons. Thus, the country might become like Libya – God forbid – where arms became available to citizens as a result of government carelessness in the name of self-defence, and subsequently turns into a lawless state.

Because in Libya today, one with more sophisticated arms is the most feared and powerful being, just like a government. They can do and undo as they want. Nigeria, particularly Arewa, might face a similar fate, but I believe God will embarrass them. The worst thing about this negotiation is that even if there is negotiation, these Fulani bandits won’t take up any job that will earn them money. Instead, they’ll move to another town where there’s no security problem and continue their terrorist activities. If there’s another negotiation, they’ll move forward.

They wanted to pursue an agenda of conquest with great force, as in the 1804 Jihad. I know historians among us will relate better, though I’m not one; I’m a history enthusiast and studied it in secondary school. Thus, we’re not ignorant of the past. If we don’t forget, those Fulani bandits camped at the Kankara forest under the notorious bandit leader Babaru, aka, had to negotiate with the people of Yar Goje town, before they could target some villages.

Then, they got the opportunity to attack the Mantau village in Malumfashi, where they killed many worshippers during dawn prayers in the mosque and thereafter kidnapped many residents and took them to their camps. Although they later released them, the government claimed the release was due to a firefight with troops, but Zuma Times reported the opposite. We believe the latter, as the government didn’t present any evidence of casualties.

The Mantau village has been a headache for the bandits for years. They’re well-prepared and gallant, and on many occasions, they’ve hidden at routes where bandits pass by to attack and kill them. The village was a no-nonsense and fearful place for bandits. Even the day they attacked them, it was a raid, not face-to-face, which shows an act of cowardice. Therefore, the Fulani won’t stop terrorising; they’ll move forward until they’ve conquered the Hausa land entirely, as captured and masterminded by their ancestors for centuries.

Negotiation with bandits, even though it has never happened at the state level but at the local governments’ level, as seen in Jibia, Batsari, Kurfi, Kankara, and others, makes us suspect that even those that happened at the local governments’ level were with the governor’s consent. He doesn’t want to admit his failure or is afraid of reversing his stance on non-negotiation with bandits.

The idea is totally archaic and reckless because not everybody will sit down and watch people who killed their loved ones or bankrupted them through ransom payments be forgiven and allowed to roam freely, while the people they killed are no more. The properties destroyed or collected for ransom are not compensated.

Even the government’s careless move to empower repented bandits is not welcoming because they have enough money collected from ransom payments. Why should the government empower them with our money? I think the best approach is to empower the victims, not the repentant bandits. The government should also reintensify its security approach, especially given the recent surge in banditry attacks in eastern and southern Malumfashi over the past two days. May Allah restore absolute peace and stability in our towns, states, and the country at large.