A security analyst, Mubarak Umar, has advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that successfully ending banditry in Nigeria's North-West region in 2025 will require eliminating all 'sacred cows' involved in the criminal activities.
Speaking to journalists in Gusau, Zamfara State capital, Umar emphasized that evidence has repeatedly shown high-profile individuals' involvement in banditry operations across the region.
"Three Emirs and many District Heads have been dethroned due to their involvement in banditry," Umar stated, highlighting the deep-rooted nature of the problem among influential figures.
The security expert revealed that a committee on banditry, established by former Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle (now Minister of State for Defence) and headed by former Inspector General of Police Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, had recommended the dethronement of five Emirs and 35 District Heads for their alleged involvement in banditry activities. However, according to Umar, the state government did not implement these recommendations.
Umar also referenced a case involving a former lawmaker in the Zamfara State House of Assembly who was detained over alleged banditry connections before being unconditionally released. The lawmaker later died in his sleep.
The security analyst painted a grim picture of the humanitarian crisis caused by banditry in Zamfara State, noting that farmers can no longer access their farmlands, resulting in food scarcity. He added that the situation has created hundreds of widows and left thousands of children begging on the streets.
In his message to President Tinubu, Umar emphasized that "no government can treat the security of lives and properties of its people with a mere wave of hand," underscoring the need for decisive action against all perpetrators regardless of their status or influence.
