insecurity
How To End Insecurity In Northern Nigeria
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has said the menace of insecurity in northern Nigeria can be curtailed through a comprehensive and cohesive response.
Ribadu stated this in a lecture he presented on Thursday at the convocation ceremony of Usman DanFodiyo University, Sokoto.
Ribadu described insecurity in northern Nigeria as a “complex web” that is influenced by a blend of socio-economic, ethnic, and religious factors.
He said banditry has deep historical roots in the region, and argued that the British conquest of the Northern Protectorate in 1903 and the subsequent amalgamation with the Southern Protectorate in 1914 were partly motivated by the desire to curb armed banditry and enhance regional security.
The NSA said: “Although economic motives often dominate discussions about this amalgamation, the need to improve security, especially in the largely ungoverned Muslim North, was a significant factor.
“Lord Lugard, the first Colonial Officer of the Protectorate, experienced numerous confrontations with armed bandits who used ambush tactics with devastating efficiency, underscoring the security challenges of the time.
“Lugard’s encounters in areas like Nupeland, Kano, and Borguland, where he was wounded by bandits, highlighted the region’s precarious security situation.”
Ribadu said estimates suggest there are now over 300 bandit warlords, “each commanding at least 50 fighters operational across different regions of Northern Nigeria.”
However, Ribadu said the menace has since undergone a significant transformation, exacerbated by widespread trafficking of small arms across the region and other parts of Nigeria.
He said: “Previously confined to local skirmishes and cattle rustling, modern-day banditry in the region has escalated into a lucrative and deadly operation. This involves kidnapping for ransom and large-scale violence that destabilises entire communities. This evolution reflects broader socio-economic despair and a governance vacuum, realities that have allowed bandits to grow their tactics and access sophisticated weaponry.”
Ribadu asserted that addressing banditry in the country requires “not only a security response but also an understanding and addressing of its deep-rooted causes.”
He identified some of the factors driving insecurity in the region as land use disputes, changing livelihoods and climate change, reciprocal radicalisation, and security sector challenges.
Ribadu added that other factors include access to arms, corruption and injustice, and regional overspill.
The NSA also highlighted the strategy of the President Bola Tinubu administration for addressing national security challenges generally.
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