Threat of zonal extension as Banditry grows in Nigeria’s North

Insecurity in Nigeria is no new phenomenon. However, the new dimension with which the scourge has begun to assume, has brought on the table of concern variant forms of threats giving the definition of insecurity the clogging of clusters of categorisation. The wings of disturbance propping with the rising of categorisation of variant forces of threats have put the polity on heat recently. One recent scourge which have grown to assume the state of mayhem  is the clog of banditry. While the storm of the Boko-Haram terrorism has been known with the North-East for over a decade, the entangling forces of banditry have recently cut the North-West with disturbances which have rendered the region a danger zone.

That the North-West has become a danger zone on the red list of the scourge of insecurity is incontestable, with the report of heightening attacks by bandits. The heightening scourge has been occasioning the spate of gruesome killings and arsons leaving many persons displaced. The rampage of kidnap-for-ransom among other threats of inhumane misfortunes have continued to register the sensations of panic in the atmosphere. Over the weekend, an attack on three communities in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State had left tens persons dead. On Monday, no less  than 40 persons have been confirmed dead. The State’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, who confirmed the discovery of two more bodies on Monday, in an update report on the attack, said security agencies carrying out search operations in the area reported the discovery of the two  bodies. Death toll from the Saturday’s bandits’ attacks on Kauran Fawa, Marke and Riheya villages in Idasu, Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State stood at 38 as at Sunday. Like several other gruesome attacks, the mishap had recorded the inhumane actions of killings and arson which have left both those who have fled for fear and those whose properties have been razed down, displaced.

Another recent killings of no less than 23 travellers who were burnt to death by bandits on Monday (6th December, 2021)  at Anguwan Bawa in Sabon Birni Council of Sokoto State, had sparked stronger reactions as various groups continue to express grievances over the heightening spate of insecurity mayhem across the Country. In his comments on Thursday (09 December, 2021), the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar while speaking in Abuja at the 4th Quarter 2021 Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC)  had said situations were not right in the Country by the worsening profile of security threats. Sa’ad who said there were daily attacks in the North which were largely unreported, had submitted it was hightime concerted efforts were deployed to address the prevailing threats. He had said, “Some few days ago, we are witnesses to the media report on how people were killed in a bus in Sokoto, even though the figure is not correct, but even one life is important. There is no single day that passes without people being killed in the North, especially in the North West now, but we are not aware of it. Let’s not deceive ourselves, everything is not alright. I have said this so many times, and to know that you have a problem, you have part of the solution The earlier we rise up to the occasion, come together, the better for us.”

The metabiotic impacts of the scourge of insecurity have grown to register alterations which have inflicted disfiguring blows on the socio-economic and political fabrics of the Country. The ravages of the blows of insecurity have largely grounded the working parameters of societal configurations in areas that have been worst hit. It is observable that the tardy and docile response to security threats from certain parts of the Country have been the ground for the escalation and extension of the rampages to other parts of the Country. It has been observed thus, that such insensitivity to terminate the clustering of insecurity mayhem in some parts, have only send signals of breeding grounds for the formation of new threats in some other parts.  Hence, the irresponsive  posture to clampdown on terrorism in the North-East to bring same to an end, have only seen the metabiotic reflections growing a breed of insecurity formation in the North-West in the form of banditry.

The rising formations are taking course of metabiotic reflections with signals of extension of same to other parts of the Country. Such extension would only leave the entire Country entangled with the scourge of insecurity. This will only push the Country to an end largely undesirable and frustrating for living and development. It has become non negotiable for the Government to tackle the heightening wave of insecurity in the Country headlong to avert an extension of threat formation which may breed forces leaving the polity with an ungovernable sensation. The formation of insecurity scourge from the North-East to the North-West is growing with a capacity of expanding networks,  It behooves the Government to act firmly.