‘Powerful Cabal’ Behind Banditry, Kidnapping-Afenifere

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has identified the reasons behind the pervasiveness of banditry, kidnapping and terrorism in Nigeria.

In a release issued by the organisation’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, Afenifere stated that efforts made over the years to stem various iniquities going on in Nigeria have been ineffectual “because powerful people among those who are to make the efforts to be fruitful are the very ones sabotaging such efforts”.

He said that such tendencies are behind various policies and efforts of the government that have been failing repeatedly.

“Be it on electricity, water, energy, education, agriculture, economy and now insecurity, the reason for the seeming failure of strategies of governments in these sectors are the corruptive tendencies of some cabals in high places who sabotage efforts meant to sanitize the system and enhance the well-being of the people”.

It would be recalled that in recent times, incident of kidnapping, cattle rustlings, banditry bordering on genocide and territorial expansionism have become rampart. These inhumane acts were confined to the North Eastern and North Western parts of Nigeria, but now they have spread to other parts. Yorubaland which used to be comparatively safe had been infiltrated with many people already kidnapped while some have lost their lives. This is especially prevalent in parts of Kogi, Kwara, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo States as well as in Oke-ogun and Ibarapa areas of Oyo State. Yewa and Ijebu Waterside areas of Ogun State are not exempted.

“Afenifere, like many other well-meaning people, is highly concerned about this menace. At the best of time, an individual has to struggle to make the ends to meet. Now, the first consideration is safety before one now thinks of what to do to keep life going for oneself and for one’s dependents. This is why we, Afenifere, keep calling the attention of those concerned to the challenges with a view to finding workable and an enduring solution to the problem”.

Afenifere spokesman identified steps to take to permanently tackle the problem.

“But before listing those steps, let me mention verifiable areas that sabotage, complicity etc. have been a bane of our developmental efforts. It is on record that late Chief Bola Ige, as Minister of Power, was so determined to ensure that Nigeria enjoys uninterrupted electricity supply. His efforts were not only sabotaged, he was transferred from that office to the Ministry of Justice. Several billions of Naira were expended on the Turn Around Maintenance (ATM) of our refineries. Not only do these refineries defied efforts at turning them around (for good), the humongous amounts allocated for the purpose year in year out are nowhere to be found. Every year, money is allocated for the maintenance of existing roads. But each of these roads get worsened each passing year. Where did the money go? For several years now, the biggest chunk of our annual budget goes to Security and Defence. Yet, insecurity continues to be on the upsurge thus raising the question; where do the monies go?”

In the case of insecurity that is the issue at hand presently, Ajayi maintained that the problem would have been over since but for the complicity of the very people who were supposed to put an end to the menace.

“Consider for instance, some leaders in the North who said that any attack on bandits would be regarded as an attack on their tribe cum the advocacy of some so-called leaders that bandits should be negotiated with rather than be apprehended and prosecuted in accordance with the law. Or some governors, particularly in the North, who chose to reward terrorists by pardoning them and giving them incentives. These steps are among the reasons why banditry is thriving and does not appear to be conquerable so soon”.

He added that the desire to scare people away from their ancestral homes and take over their lands is behind the frequent attacks on some areas occasioning loss of life, abductions and imposition of levies on residents of those areas. This particular action can be laid at the door step of some unscrupulous herders who want to take over other people’s lands for the purpose of grazing their cattle as well as foreign interests who are bent on mining our natural resources without wanting to follow due process. Those engaged in these nefarious activities are within some of the communities as well as in high places in and outside the country.

In view of the intransigence of the menace, Afenifere suggested the following as some steps that can be taken to put a stop to it. These should include concrete re-orientation of people in the areas concerned on the need to place greater value on life, debriefing and de-radicalization of youths who had been negatively indoctrinated, restructuring the security architecture, monitoring ‘ungoverned spaces’, appropriate training of security personnel, motivation and empowerment of these personnel including the provision of modern security equipment as well as the immediate take-off of state police.

Ajayi added that since tinkering with the Constitution is imperative to have State Police, a Presidential Order can be made to have various levels of the existing Police structure at state and community levels to be peopled by indigenes or inhabitants of the given area. This could be done pending the time that needed constitutional amendments would be effected.

He recalled the disclosure by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, that President Bola Tinubu had authorized expanded security deployments, improved intelligence coordination and more robust investigations into attacks on religious communities.

Ribadu had added that:“Nigeria is a deeply plural society, and the protection of all citizens—Christians, Muslims and those of other beliefs—is non-negotiable”.

He also described such attacks as assaults on the Nigerian state itself.

According to Afenifere spokesman, “For these noble affirmation by the NSA to be realized, there is the urgent need to enhance intelligence gathering, utilize the intelligence efficiently, sanitize the rank and file of the security agencies to oust saboteurs and weaken the cabals. Encourage communities to purge themselves of saboteurs, enlighten the people on the sanctity of life and human dignity, empower the people the more, strengthening security personnel and motivating them while more concrete steps are taken at restructuring the country within the shortest time possible”.